Fire
by Carovinee
Summary: Private Enya Clarke is taken from her Canadian regiment to join TF 141, almost completely against her will. How will she adjust to the intense life of a Task Force soldier, and who will be there to help? Roach/GhostxOC. M for language/violence/torture.
1. Arrival

**A**/**N**: This is a little detour I'm taking, while I work out the plot for my other story, _Invincibility_. Just in case anyone was confused last time, the words in_ italics _are the thoughts of the character whose point of view is being told. **Bold** words have emphasis on them.

Also, I know there are several stories out there about female OCs, like ecto1B's "Queen", and this won't exactly be a new concept, but I have a pretty good idea for a plot-line, and I am going to try to make it work. If you don't like, don't read, and please don't waste review text bitching about it. Or I'll send Ramirez after you.

Fire: Chapter One

Arrival:

Private Enya Clarke lay curled in the back of the Pave Low, staring at the dark metal interior. Her slim, pale figure shivered slightly, not out of cold, but out of fear, for she was stepping way out of her element. A former member of the Canadian Forces, Enya had been chosen out of a few dozen soldiers, after running an intense trial course. After coming out of the test at the very top, Enya had gone back to the barracks to rest, only to be called out to answer the phone.

"_Congratulations, Private Clarke. You passed the trial with the highest score. I am sending a transport to meet you in one hour for briefing. Do not be late."_

_Excuse me, but, what?_

A voice sounded over the intercom, saying that they would soon be landing at Fire Base Phoenix, a Ranger base, where Task Force 141 was temporarily staying. She suppressed another shudder of fear, instead curling up into a tighter ball, trying to get a handle on her racing thoughts.

_Calm down, Enya. You were the best sniper in your regiment, you should have seen a promotion coming. Nothing like this, of course, but a promotion nonetheless. Relax._

Before Enya could collect herself any further, she felt the Pave Low begin its descent, and she stood, using a nearby seat to keep her balance, as the Pave Low touched down.

The ramp began to drop, sending gusts of wind from the propellers into the helicopter. Cursing under her breath, Enya pulled an elastic from her wrist, and gently tugged her short, deep brown hair off of her face. A blast of sunlight penetrated the darkness of the Pave Low, and Enya slipped her sunglasses over the bright green eyes to compensate. As soon as the ramp lowered, Enya stepped out of the helicopter, and step by step, walked towards her new world.

**Another A**/**N**: This is basically an introduction for the character, Enya. I have decided on a call-sign for her, but I want to dedicate a chapter to her being given her call-sign. For any impatient readers, just look up her name in a name dictionary. That is part of the idea for her call-sign.

Clarke is a shout-out to an old friend, and E.A. of mine, who I haven't seen in years. I miss you, Mr. Clarke! Reviews are loved, so go for it!


	2. Greetings

**A**/**N**: I just realized how pathetically short that first chapter was, and I feel pretty crummy about that. Hopefully this chapter will be better. Also, thanks to **Arhani 'Hanny' Daforcena **for a very kind review. If you're reading this, hope you enjoy this chapter!

Fire: Chapter Two

Greetings:

As Enya continued down the ramp, a hush fell over the assembled crowd of Rangers. Sure, they had seen a female soldier before. But a female in the 141? None of them had even thought that possible. The Task Force was pretty exclusive, after all.

The hot sun tired Enya quickly, and her heavy pack began to slip from her shoulders. Before she could get a better grip on the straps, a loud, strong voice called out an order.

"Ramirez! Help the lady with her bag!" A young, slim, brown-skinned soldier stepped forward, and slung her pack over his shoulder effortlessly. Embarrassed at needing help right off, Enya muttered a quiet word of thanks.

"No problem." whispered Ramirez. "I'll show you to the command building. You'll meet with your superiors there."

Enya and Ramirez quickly approached the main building. When they reached the doors, Ramirez turned to her, and slipped her pack onto the ground.

"I have to get over to the Pit. Go right in, they are expecting you." explained Ramirez.

"Hey, thanks for the help. I appreciate it." said Enya. "Oh, and what is 'the Pit'?"

Ramirez laughed, and jogged away, leaving a very confused and nervous Enya standing outside the doors of the command building.

_Alright, here I am, standing in front of the command building of Fire Base Phoenix. I am about to meet with General Shepherd, the man who dragged me over here. I am also going to meet with some of the team. No big deal, right? I can do this._

Enya pulled the heavy door open, and walked into the main room. The first thing that she noticed was the darkness; the room was mostly lit up by computer screens A dim light bulb, tied to a battery by a frayed bootlace provided the only other source of light. There were very few people in the room, and none of them noticed her. Enya dropped her bag on the floor, and instantly, everyone looked up at her.

One man, tall and older-looking, dressed head-to-toe in blue US Army fatigues, stepped forward.

"Welcome to Afghanistan, Private Clarke." he said, in a slight monotone.

"General Shepherd, I presume?" Enya questioned. His eyebrows raised slightly, and she blushed.

"I trust the flight went well." he continued, ignoring her previous statement. "This is Captain Mactavish, Lieutenant Ghost, and Sergeant Roach. They are planning for an upcoming objective. Nothing you need to worry about at this time." Shepherd pointed to the three men behind him.

_Ghost? Roach? What kind of a last name is Roach?_

"Nice to meet you, Clarke." piped up a quiet voice. Enya tilted her head towards the man who spoke, a small, skinny-looking man. Goggles covered his eyes, and a heavy hat covered a lot of his head, and Enya wondered how he could see in such a dark room. _Maybe he's just used to it._

Before she could wonder any more, one of the men stepped forward to meet her. He was also very tall, wearing faded combat pants and a black shirt. His dark brown hair was shaved down to a mohawk, and unshaven stubble marked his cheeks. A long white scar stretched down his eyebrow, and several other scars were visible on his arms, including one in the shape of a bullet hole.

_What the hell am I doing here? His arms look like they were used for target practise._

"Welcome to the one-four-one. I'm Captain Mactavish, I run the Task Force under General Shepherd." His voice was amazing, a soothing Scottish accent, and Enya fought with her mind, trying to keep focused._ What. The. Fuck. Stop it with the teenage girl act! Pay attention!_

General Shepherd looked up from a monitor. "Put your bag in your tent, Private, and meet me at the Pit for a quick test."

_Damn, what the heck is the Pit?_

Enya raised her eyebrows, and asked "The Pit, sir?"

"The Pit is an obstacle course. We use it for training." explained Shepherd. "Now, hurry up! Get rid of your bag and meet me there in 20 minutes. Dismissed."

_Well, that wasn't so bad. The Pit sounds...interesting. Please don't let me fail in front of everyone._

Enya exited the building, wincing as the bright light hit her face, tugging her glasses on again. After taking a few steps in a random direction, she came to a sudden conclusion. _Where the hell is my tent?_ Before she could turn to ask for help, a man came up to her.

"Hello, Private Clarke." It was the man who had greeted her in the command building. "My name's Roach. Nice to meet you."

"You already said that!" she laughed. Roach grinned.

"Just being friendly. Here, let me help you find your tent." offered Roach.

"I can find it on my own, I don't need help." said Enya.

"Oh, really? Then how come you look so lost?" _Ohhh, he's good._

"Fine" she sighed. "I'll follow you."

The two walked towards the tents, and Roach pointed at a tent close to the edge of the group.

"This is where the Task Force sleeps. We each have our own small tents, until we move to a more permanent base. The mess hall, bathrooms, and lounge are in that building over there." he explained, pointing to a small building in the distance.

"I'll wait out here for you to get settled." said Roach.

"No, come on in, this won't take too long" cried Enya. Roach raised an eyebrow, and Enya cringed. _Oh, God. Did I just say that?_ Enya was surprised when Roach stepped forward, and held the flap of the tent open for her.

The tent was small and bare, with a low cot and a crate for her belongings. A small mirror sat on a shelf nailed to a wall, and a metal chair lay folded up on the ground.

"Hmm, not exactly first class." she muttered, as the upended her bag onto the bed. Clothes, combat boots, a few small boxes, a couple of novels, and a notebook tumbled out. Wasting no time at all, Enya scooped all of the clothes up, and chucked them into the crate.

"Here, let me help." said Roach, picking up an item at random...a box of tampons. Roach made a small gasp under his breath, and threw the box down, grabbing a pair of boots instead.

Enya saw the box fly across the room, and instantly collapsed into a fit of laughter, which caused Roach to turn even redder.

"Come on!" she laughed, turning to the door. "Let's get to the Pit before Shepherd has us both shot.

**Another A/N**: Yeah...this chapter ran a bit longer than I thought it would. Feel free to review.


	3. Sprint

**A**/**N**: Another chapter! This one is all about the Pit. I actually enjoy the Pit, and play the SpecOp over and over again on a regular basis. Enjoy the chapter, and please, please review. Writing this feels easier when I know that people are reading and liking my work. Thanks to **Reeserella **for her review!

Fire: Chapter Three

Sprint:

Enya and Roach began the trip over to the Pit. Roach was still a little bit pink in the face from the tampons that he found, and Enya was struggling not to laugh again. After suppressing yet another wave of giggles, she looked at Roach, who was slowly turning red again.

"You know, you remind me of my friend from the Canadian regiment. He was sneaking through my stuff one day when he came across one of those boxes. The look on his face was priceless, but nowhere near as hilarious as yours!" said Enya. Roach didn't react, and it was Enya's turn to blush. _God, why do I always say such stupid things around Roach?_ Thinking of this, Enya decided to try something else.

"Why do people have such strange nicknames around here?" asked Enya.

"We all go by call-signs, for security." he answered.

"Well, what's your real name?" Enya asked. Roach sighed, and Enya feigned fear.

"Let me guess, tell me, and you'll have to kill me, right?" Roach chuckled quietly, before answering.

"Gary. Gary Sanderson."

"Enya Clarke." she replied. "Why are you called Roach?"

Before he could answer, they arrived at the Pit. Enya turned to Roach, a confused look on her face.

"Gosh, you really are an FNG. You just need to run through the course. We all do. Our time and accuracy is kept on record."

Before he could explain further, Captain Mactavish walked over, holding a SCAR-H with a foregrip in his hands. He handed the weapon to Enya, and picked up a clipboard from a nearby table.

"I'm going to record your time on this course. We all take it once a week, and all scores are recorded. General Shepherd is watching, so please don't embarrass us!" said Mactavish, laughing slightly to himself. Enya groaned in mock terror, and stepped towards the gate. The gun felt rough and unfamiliar in her hands, and her whole body trembled with anticipation. The gate swung open, and Enya slipped inside.

"Clear the first area! Go, go, go!" called an unidentified voice. Three targets popped up, and Enya quickly looked down the sights of the SCAR-H, and pulled the trigger. Sprinting forward, Enya shot down three other targets before a loud buzzer sounded.

"Aw, damn, you killed a civilian!" Cursing under her breath, Enya finished the last of the targets outside the building, and ran for the door.

"Area cleared! Move into the building!" Five targets appeared, this time Enya carefully avoided the civilians, and shot down the enemy targets.

"Up the stairs!" Enya rushed up the stairs. A target popped up, startling Enya. _Fuck! _She quickly aimed her gun, and shot a few bullets, but the target didn't fall like the others.

"Melee with your knife!" _Oh. Crap._ Enya reached for a combat knife, and jabbed the target in the chest. It fell aside, and Enya continued up the stairs. Several targets appeared, and Enya raised her SCAR-H to take them out. Two targets lined up, and she shot through both of them. Once they were all "dead", she ran for the edge of the building.

"Area cleared! Jump down!" Enya jumped over the edge, landing hard on her left foot. Enya bit back a scream as she stepped forward, shooting down each enemy target, and moving as fast as she could towards the finish.

"Last area! Move! Move!" Enya pushed herself into a sprint, throwing the SCAR-H aside, and pulling out her knife. As she ran by, she stabbed the last two enemies, and sprinted over the finish line. A time was called out, but Enya did not hear. Her head was swimming, and her ankle burned.

"Enya...Enya!" called a voice, a voice she knew. She looked sat down on the ground, and looked up at the source of the voice.

"Roach..." she whispered, leaning against the wall, and slowly closing her eyes. _Roach..._

"Clarke! Wake up!" shouted an unfamiliar voice. Enya's eyes snapped open, and looked around the room. Her eyes fell on a man standing over her. Her gaze travelled up his arm, along his chest, and up to his head. _Holy crap! What the hell?_

Where a face would be, there was instead a skull. Enya blinked, and looked again. A thick black mask with the pattern of a skull covered his face, and dark red sunglasses hid his eyes. Before she could ponder further, his hand flew in front of her face, waving back and forth.

"Clarke, you there? Wake up!" he said, and Enya flew into a sitting position. The man laughed, and gestured to her ankle.

"A mild sprain, nothing serious. All you needed were some painkillers and a tensor bandage. You can get up, if you want to." Enya slipped onto the floor, and looked down at her legs again, relieved to still be wearing her combat pants.

"Mind passing me that boot, er..." Enya stopped, unsure of his name.

"Ghost." he finished, passing her the boot. "You did really well on the Pit. 29 seconds, I'm impressed. Now come on, put your boot on. Roach and Captain Mactavish are in a briefing right now, but they'll be looking for you. In the meantime, let's get you something to eat and introduce you to the rest of the Task Force."

Overwhelmed by his words, and his amazingly hot accent, Enya followed him in a daze. As soon as they left the hospital, Roach appeared, a worried look on his face.

"You alright, Enya?" he asked, his voice tight with concern.

"I'm fine, it's just a sprain. I'll live." she reassured him, and his features relaxed, falling back into their usual boyish form. _Wow, over-protective much? _"I'm still confused, though. Why did I pass out? It's just a sprain."

"Heat exhaustion, probably. You should look into some lighter clothes. That should help." said Roach.

"Good call, I should probably do that." said Enya. A sudden wave of weakness passed over her, and her hand flew to her forehead. Roach was by her side in an instant, his eyes flashing with alarm.

"It's alright! I'm just feeling a bit tired. Can we hurry up and get some food?" she asked. Roach smiled, and threw her arm around his shoulder, pulling her along. Ghost stopped suddenly, as a small, knowing smile appeared on his face.

**Another A**/**N**: I'll bet you can guess where this is going! All is not as it seems, trust me. I've got a few plot twists planned out for this story. Now go on and press that review button, or Ramirez will find you!


	4. Journal

**A**/**N**: I never realized how addicting this could be. Writing this story is taking over my life, and I;m definitely not complaining! For anyone who didn't get it, this is (at first, anyways) a story about Roach and Enya. I've decided to try to get more in touch with the fact that Enya Clarke is just a young woman. She is about 24 years old, having joined up the day she turned 18. I'm a little fuzzy on the details of the Canadian Forces, but I think I made her old enough. Anyways, in order to preserve her youth, I am giving her a journal. This is the first entry. Tell me what you think, and if it isn't popular, I'll scrap it.

Fire: Chapter Four

Journal

_8/17/1016_

_Private Enya -InsertCallSignHere- Clarke_

_When my mother gave me this notebook, the night before I left to join the Canadian Forces, I laughed. I never thought I would feel any need to write about anything, and it would just stay at the bottom of my pack. 6 years later, here I am, and my life has changed, big time._

_I used to be an ordinary sniper. Sure, I was accurate, and people would compliment me as I hit target after target with ease, but I had no idea that anyone important was watching me. Imagine my surprise when I was called to run that course. Crossing over that finish line was an immense relief, and looking at my time, I thought I was safe. My time, 4:17, seemed pretty bad to me, and I wasn't worried about who passed or anything. All I wanted was hot water and a bed, so I could move along with my life. And then, the damned phone rang, and changed my life forever._

_It's not like I could have refused. You can bet I thought about it, but something in the voice on the other end of the line told me not to, so I accepted._

_The trip in the Pave Low was hell. I was so afraid of my new world, I really wanted to be back home, with my mother and sister. Instead, I was on my way to my new, top-secret life._

_Stepping of that Pave Low was worse. All those eyes, watching me, like they'd never seen a woman before. I know for a fact that there are female soldiers in the Rangers, I saw a few today. A young man named Ramirez was ordered to help me. The poor kid looked so tired, I could see it in his eyes. Someone told me that he is overworked by Sgt. Foley, his CO. He helped me find the command building, where I met General Shepherd, and my Captain. _

_Captain Mactavish is amazing! He has the most incredible voice, I could listen to it for hours, even if it was barking out orders. As I was leaving, another man, by the name of Roach, helped me find my tent. I know, Roach is a strange name. Roach is just a call-sign, his real name is Gary Sanderson. We talked, then walked to the Pit for an evaluation. The Pit was alright, until I jumped off a ledge and landed wrong, and sprained my goddamn ankle! The sprain isn't that bad, and I'll be fine in a couple of days._

_Another man met me in the hospital. His "name" is Ghost. I don't actually know his real name, but I'm working on that one. When we left the hospital, I had a random dizzy spell. Roach rushed to my side, and pulled my arm over his shoulder. When this happened, the rush of dizziness came back, and I had to fight to keep a straight face. I really like Roach, he has been so kind to me._

_I need to cut this short, my ankle hurts like hell, and I want to get some more pain meds to fix that. And I really need to sleep, tomorrow is bound to be tiring, having an effed up ankle and no sleep will just make things worse._

_**Note to Self**: Find a call-sign, learn Ghost's actual name_

_**The Pit Scores**:_

_**1**: 29 seconds, 1 civilian hit, 1 ankle sprained._


	5. Sight

**A**/**N**: And I'm back, with another chapter. The good news is, I'm going to get back to work on my other story, _Invincibility_. The bad news is, my CoD obsession has affected my schoolwork. I'm down to a 70% average, and my parents will execute me if it gets any lower. Updates may not be as frequent, due to the obscene amount of homework I have been getting the past few days. Special thanks to **Reeserella **and **Arhani 'Hanny' Daforcena** for their continued support, and a shout-out to anyone who favourited this story. You guys keep me writing, and I really appreciate it.

Fire: Chapter Five

Sight

A loud buzzing filled the air, and penetrated the thin walls of the tent, rousing Enya from a surprisingly deep sleep. Enya's eyes flew open, and darted around the tent. Her eyes rested on the small digital clock that she had placed on the shelf. Enya sat up in bed and placed her feet on the ground. She stood slowly, wincing as weight was put on her sprained ankle. Limping towards the shelf, Enya squinted at the clock. _5:50. What the hell?_ Enya stood still and listened, faintly able to hear other soldiers leaving their tents. A quick peek out the tent flap confirmed their destination, the mess hall. Enya quickly threw on a pair of lightweight desert combat pants, and a black tee-shirt. A quick peek in the mirror confirmed the obvious; Enya was a mess. Sighing, she tugged her hair into a messy braid, then limped towards the mess hall.

The mess hall was loud, crowded, and warm, just as Enya expected. Cringing at the thought of plunging into the crowds, Enya limped over to a coffee-maker, pouring a cup of thick, strong coffee. Ignoring the bacon and toast that covered the table next to her, Enya set off in search of a table. A small spot near the window caught her eye, and Enya hobbled towards it. Enya sat down slowly, still stiff from sleep, and her sprint through the Pit. Enya gazed out the window, and brought the coffee up to her mouth, slowly inhaling its amazing scent.

"Are you going to drink or snort that?" asked Roach, appearing next to the table. Enya jumped slightly, and quickly sipped the coffee, to avoid spilling it. Roach started to laugh, but stopped when he noticed the glare Enya was shooting his way.

"Not a morning person, I take it?" he asked, putting his plate down and sitting across from her. Enya eyed the piles of food distastefully, and went back to drinking her coffee.

"Is that seriously all you plan on having? Coffee?" he asked, concern beginning to appear on his face again.

"I don't do breakfast, especially at 6 in the morning." she explained.

"You'll regret not eating later on. It's speciality training day. Are you sure you don't want some toast?" he asked, holding out a piece of toast. Enya gave a sigh of defeat, and took the toast.

As she was finishing, Captain Mactavish, Ghost, and two other men walked towards the table, their plates loaded with food.

"Morning Clarke, Roach." sounded Mactavish's smooth Scottish voice, and Enya found herself shivering slightly at the sound of it. _Damn, his voice is hot._

"Morning Captain." she replied, looking back down at her coffee. One of the men walked forward, holding out his hand.

"I'm Worm. Nice to meet you." he said, in a kind, even voice. She smiled, and they shook hands.

The other man spoke up, in a more boyish, laughing tone. "Hey there, FNG. Name's Meat. I suppose we'll now have to change the meaning of FNG. Can't call you a fucking new **guy**, can we? How about 'fucking new **girl**'?" Enya smiled, and looked him straight in the eye.

"It's nice to meet you too, Meat. Glad you noticed I'm a girl." she said, trying, and failing, to suppress the sarcasm in her voice. The others laughed, and Meat fell silent.

"Nice!" said Worm. "No FNG has ever shut him up on their first day!" Enya grinned, and finished the last of her coffee.

A couple of hours later, Enya stood outside a training building. This building was easily the largest building on the base, and Enya was anxious to get inside. A shorter, slim man with short black hair and sharp brown eyes came forward. An M14 EBR was slung across his back, and a G18 hung loosely in his hand.

"You're Enya Clarke, right? I'm Archer, the main sniper of the 141." he said, in a deep British accent.

"Great to meet you, Archer. I was wondering when I'd get to do some sniping." she said, fighting hard to keep the excitement out of her voice. _Finally, a chance to to what I do best. _

"What's your preferred weapon?" he asked.

"C3A1" she replied. Archer's eyebrows rose slightly, and he turned and walked into the building. The room was, to put it simply, **huge**. _Holy Crap, you could fit an airplane in here!_ Enya followed him over to a large shelf filled with sniper rifles. Archer browsed through the rifles, and turned back to Enya.

"I hate to say it, but we don't have any of those here. You're the only Canadian sniper around. Can you use any other rifles?" he asked, an apologetic look sinking onto his face.

"I'm alright with the Barret .50 Cal, but no good with anything else." she explained, scanning the shelf for a Barret .50 Cal. Archer reached up and grabbed a Barret and an M14 EBR. He handed her both the weapons, and motioned to a ladder in the middle of the room. Enya slipped the weapon onto her back, and climbed up the ladder.

The ladder led to a platform, lined by thin plywood boards. Several targets were visible on the ground, some under cover, some camouflaged, and some moving along a track. Archer climbed up to join her, and passed her some bullets for the rifles.

"Take out the targets. Use the Barret .50 Cal." he whispered, motioning to the rifles slung across her back.

Enya loaded the rifle, and crouched behind the boards. Lifting the sights up to her eye, Enya slowly moved the rifle, seeking out a target. A target, partially hidden by plywood, caught her attention. Enya set the crosshairs on the targets head, and pulled the trigger. About a second later, the sound of metal striking metal filled the room, and the target fell. Enya repeated this process several times, until a moving target appeared in her field of vision. Enya sighed; she had always hated moving targets. She slowly traced its path, lining its head up in her crosshairs. Enya held her breath, and pulled the trigger. The bullet flew along towards the target, grazing the edge of the metal form.

"Shit!" Enya cursed, aiming for the target again, and firing at it. This time, the target fell, and Enya sighed. _Shitshitshit! How did I miss that?_

"Nice job on those targets." said Archer, in an encouraging voice. "You need to work on your timings. Remember the distance that the bullet needs to travel. Now, let's get on to the M14 EBR. Ever fired one?" _Shit, I saw this one coming._

"No, I haven't." she answered, fumbling with the bullets as she tried to load the weapon. Archer took the rifle from her, and showed her how to load and hold the weapon.

"It's pretty simple, go for it." he said, pulling out a small remote control. A quick touch of a button reset the targets, and Enya sighed again. _Here goes nothing._

Enya aimed for the first target, and quickly pulled the trigger. She smiled as target after target fell. _Hey, this isn't so bad. I really like this weapon._ Enya grinned as the last target fell, looking towards Archer. Archer nodded in approval, and motioned to the ladder.

"Let's get going." he said. "It's lunch soon, then Physical Training."

_**Shit.**_

Three hours later, Enya sat against the fake rock-wall the Rangers had set up in the PT area. Enya had replaced her desert camo pants with light-weight military leggings, and a thin gray tee-shirt. Her hair was pulled into a tight braid, and a canteen hung at her waist. All of her weapons were back in her tent, a fact that frightened Enya slightly. _Who knew how dependant I could become on carrying a pistol at my hip? Strange._

The sound of footsteps crunching against the sand met her ears. Enya looked up, and saw Roach and Captain Mactavish walking towards the group of soldiers.

"All right everyone! Get your arses up off the ground and stand against that wall!" called Mactavish, pointing to the rock wall. Enya groaned, and got to her feet.

" I want 15 laps around the parking lot, now! Last person to finish gets 50 extra push-ups!" he yelled. _Gosh, what put him in such a bad mood?_

Enya began her run around the lot, sighing as she counted the number of laps she had left to finish. _15, 14.5, 14.3, 13, 12.5... Fuck._

Enya jogged towards the finish, and gave a quick glance backwards. _I can't be the last person to finish, can I? There __**has**__ to be someone there. Fuck._

"Enjoy your push-ups!" shouted Meat, laughing at her. Enya growled, gave another quick sigh, and braced herself for a long training session.

_Fuck you, Shepherd._

**Another A**/**N**: Yeah...this chapter definitely wasn't one of my best. It's almost 2 AM, so I'm not exactly expected to create an effing masterpiece, am I? I had the plot for this chapter in my mind, and I needed to write it down before I forgot it. Feel free to review, you know how much I love feedback.

**Yet Another A**/**N**: I did my best to fix a few mistakes that I overlooked, thanks to an anonymous source. If you are reading this, thanks for your help!


	6. Kilo SixOne

**A**/**N**: I am at the point where I really don't give a shit about my homework. I have my story in my head, and thinking about what I am going to have my character do is what gets me through the day. I know, I'm addicted, but so what? Special thank-you to an anonymous reader, who found a huge hole in the plot, and helped me fix it. Oh, and just in case anyone decides to point it out, what happens to Enya will be directly linked to the game (i.e. Being with Kilo Six-One when they pick up Soap and Roach), but not everything will be 100% canon with the game. This is FanFiction, and I can do whatever I want. Enjoy!

Fire: Chapter Six

Kilo Six-One

A tapping sound filled the dark tent, and Enya moaned. Her entire body was sore from the extra push-ups, and the sound of someone knocking on the pole of her tent woke her up from an uneasy sleep, leaving her stiff and sore. Enya slipped off the bed, and slowly hobbled towards the door, wincing as the movement caused her ankle to sting. Enya pulled the tent flap aside, and was surprised to see Roach standing there.

"Roach?" she whispered. "What are you doing here so early? I don't have to be up for another 2 hours!"

"I just wanted to tell you that Mactavish and I are leaving in about an hour. We have to retrieve something from a military base in the Tien Shan Range." explained Roach. "That's in Kazakhstan." he added, noticing a puzzled look on her face.

"Oh, well, um, good luck, of course." she said, at a slight loss for words. _Why are you telling me this? I'd hear about it at breakfast anyways. _Before she could change her mind, Enya stepped forward and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, pulling him into a strong hug. Roach stiffened at first, but soon responded to her actions, pulling her even closer. After a minute, they broke apart, and Roach turned to walk away. Enya stood at the tent flap and whispered three words to herself, so quiet that Roach could barely hear.

"Come back alive."

Enya paced around the command centre, waiting for any sign that the mission was going according to plan. Except for a few murmurings, and the sound of the Little Bird, there was no sign of the team. Fear was choking her into silence again, fear of losing two important members of the team, and two important people in her life.

_Relax, Enya. They are alright. They are both highly trained. They can do this. Nothing will go wrong. Roach will be fine..._

In an effort to steady her thoughts, Enya went over to the shooting range. A few Rangers were there, and they smiled and greeted her. She was surprised when one Ranger came forward to talk to her.

"Hey Enya!" he said, smiling. "What are you up to?" _Ramirez. _Enya smiled back at him, happy to see someone that she knew.

"I'm just going to practise." she explained, pulling out her M1911.45. Enya walked over to the ammo station, and picked up a few magazines for the pistol. She walked over to one of the lanes, and readied the pistol for firing. Enya pushed a button on the wall next to her, and six targets appeared. Enya grinned to herself, and quickly brought down the targets. Again and again she repeated the same exercise, until Ramirez came over, a look of confusion on his face.

"What are you doing?" he asked. "You are aware you've been shooting the same targets in the same order with the same gun for about an hour, right?" _Wow, I really got lost in that._

Before Enya could offer up a reply, Worm came running over towards her.

"Enya!" he called. "Ghost wants you in the command centre! You'd better get over there now, it sounded urgent."

Enya hurried over to the command building, where Ghost was standing, outside the main door. She jogged towards him, cursing at the burning feeling in her ankle.

"You wanted to see me, Ghost?" she asked, coming to a stop in front of him.

"Come inside." he said, no emotion in his throaty British accent. _Oh crap, that's a bad sign._

"I'm setting up an extraction force for Mactavish and Roach." he started, pointing to a map of a base and surrounding forest. "I want you on the CH-46, along with several of the Rangers. You will be providing sniper support, in the event that things get ugly. You leave in 20 minutes. Get your gear together and do not be late." he said, handing her a small blueprint of the extraction area. Enya nodded and left the building, rushing to the armoury to grab the materials needed for this mission.

20 minutes later, Enya sat inside the helicopter, M14 EBR sitting on the racks above her head. Her body was covered in thick, white-camouflaged clothing, with the Canadian flag embroidered on the back*. Her hair was braided and pinned back off her face, and a thick white balaclava covered all but her eyes, which she would need for the task up ahead. As they got closer and closer to their objective, Enya couldn't help but think "_My first mission!". _This was a big deal, after all.

A Ranger walked over to her, and tossed her a small headset radio. She grinned, and hooked it into place. Shortly after, she heard her first sign that the two men were still alive.

"Kilo Six-One,the primary exfil point is compromised! We're en route to the backup LZ using enemy transport! Meet us there! Over!" shouted Mactavish, in an urgent tone barely suppressed by the radio.

"Bravo Six, this is Kilo Six-One, roger that, out." said the pilot, and Enya clenched her fists with excitement. Sounds of their escape carried through the radio, along with the steady roar of snowmobiles. _They must have stolen some enemy snowmobiles. Cool._

"Bravo Six, we're at bingo fuel. What's your status, over?" called the pilot, and Enya's heart nearly stopped beating. _No! You can't just leave them behind!_

"Kilo Six-One, we're taking heavy fire but we're almost there! Standby!" yelled Mactavish, a hint of fear surfacing in his voice. Enya held her breath, anxiously staring out of the chopper, waiting for the snowmobiles to come around the corner.

"Bravo Six we have you on visual. Get your ass on board! We're running on fumes here!" shouted the pilot, and Enya's heart skipped a beat. Racing around the corner were two snowmobiles, flying at them at a high rate of speed. She gave a sigh of relief as Mactavish and Roach boarded the helicopter.

"Okay, they got the ACS! We're outta here!" called the crew chief, signalling the pilot to take off. The helicopter rose slowly, and Enya walked to the benches at the back, where Roach and Mactavish were sitting.

"Nice to see you guys made it back." she said. "Someone want to tell me what an ACS is?" Roach looked up at her in confusion, spying the rifle slung across her back. Enya laughed, and pulled off the balaclava. "Right, I forgot, you can't see my face."

Soap stood up to speak to the pilot, and Enya sat down next to Roach. Roach grinned.

"Enya, what are you doing here?" he asked.

"Ghost wanted me here as sniper support, in case things got ugly, and it turned into a firefight." she explained. Roach nodded, and placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Well, I'm really glad that you are here."

**Another A**/**N**: See where this is going?

*I remember reading that the Canadians in MW2 have their flags stitched onto their backs, just like the soldiers do in the Canadian Forces. I just thought I'd include it, as another tie to my country, Canada. Reviews are loved and appreciated, and I kid you not, they keep me happy and writing. Just ask my sister, she's seen me happy-dancing around the house after getting a review.


	7. Briefing

**A**/**N**: Sorry this took so long, I had to deal with my mother meeting my math teacher, who informed her of my failures in his class. Now I have a shit-load of computer restrictions set on my head. I even have designated homework time. I can't wait until I turn 18, so I can join the army and get the hell out of here. On top of it all, a vial of ink exploded on me, and I accidentally swallowed some. My hands are stained black from ink, and I may have ink poisoning. FML.

Anyways, I hope you enjoy the chapter. Special thanks to **Scented of Roses **for an excellent and constructive review. I'm glad to hear that you like this story! Enjoy!

Fire: Chapter Seven

Briefing

Enya stared down at her nemesis, the ledge that she had leapt a few days ago. She was sitting up observation, watching a group of Rangers run through the Pit. Corporal Dunn, the man who was running the course, had told her that these Rangers were "auditioning" for the "prima donna" squad. So far they were all doing pretty well, with an average time of 45 seconds. As another young man came forward to run, a voice sounded out behind Enya. Enya leaped up from the ground, cursing, as Roach climbed up to join her.

"Why is it that you always sneak up on me? One day, you are going to scare me so much that my heart will stop." she said, her hands flying to her hips in anger, but a teasing smile remaining on her face.

"I missed you too." he said, laughing. "And I doubt your heart would ever stop. Skip a few beats, maybe, but never permanently stop."

"Thanks for the faith." she muttered, turning back to the Pit. This man was doing way better than the others, shooting down the targets with expert ease, scoring head shots and double kills, and sprinting at an insane speed.

"29.56 seconds!" called Dunn. "Amazing work, dude. OK, now that's how you run the Pit!"

No-one was left to run, so Enya climbed back down, and made to walk to her tent. She stopped when a loud buzz sounded through the base. Enya ran towards the command building, Roach hot on her heels. The sounds of machinery and military vehicles grew louder and louder as more Humvees appeared. Meat walked out of the command building, and jogged over to them.

"It's just a bridge that the OpFor blew out. The Rangers are taking care of it. No big deal." he said, in a perfectly neutral tone. Enya sighed, and walked towards her tent again. _I never thought I would say this, but I am so freaking bored!_ Enya knelt down, and pulled her notebook out from under her bed. Picking up a pen, Enya curled up on the bed, and began to write.

_Private Enya -InsertCallSignHere- Clarke_

_The past few days have been different from what I expected. It is so hot that sometimes find it hard to breathe, there are spiders the size of this notebook, and the boredom is setting in. I find myself spending a lot of time with Gary, he is my best friend here. Being with him makes me feel so happy and carefree, and I really miss him when he isn't around. When he was off tracking down an ACS module (whatever that is) I thought I was going to go insane, I was so worried for him. Finding out that I would be accompanying the evac troops made the worry worth it, and seeing him pull up on that snowmobile got me to breathe again. What does this mean?_

_**Note to Self**: Find call-sign, learn Ghost's real name, figure out what an ACS is._

Enya sighed, hid the notebook under her bed, and curled up under the sheets, letting sleep overtake her questioning mind.

The next day, Enya was called to the command building to hear the news; a new recruit by the name of Allen was dead, killed during an undercover mission. The team was rather grim about it, and Enya wondered what they were going to do next.

Her questions were answered when Shepherd loaded some new images onto the screens, informing them of a lead.

"Follow the shell." he said, in his irritating monotone. A man appeared on the screen; Enya stared blankly at him, having never seen him before. "Alejandro Rojas."

"Never heard of him, sir." replied Mactavish.

"You know him as Alex the Red. He supplied the assault." explained Shepherd. Mactavish nodded in comprehension, and Enya suppressed a sigh. _Am I the only one who doesn't know what is going on?_

"One bullet to unleash the fury of a whole nation. Which means..." said Mactavish, his Scottish voice betraying hints of irritation.

"He's our ticket to Makarov." finished Shepherd, interrupting Mactavish. Her captain stood to his full height, pointing to the screen, which now displayed a detailed map of Rio Del Janerio.

"Roach, Driver, you'll be with me in the chase vehicle. Meat, Royce, you'll be here, near the entrance to the favela. You'll receive further instructions there. Ghost, Enya, you two'll be hidden in this construction site. Intel says he's used this area as a base of operations before, and we don't know whether he'll be on foot or in a vehicle, and which base of operations he'll be using. Keep an eye out for him. We leave in 2 hours. Dismissed."

_Holy Crap, my first actual mission! I just wish it wasn't in Rio, I am so sick of the sun._

Enya walked over to the armoury to select her weapons, armour, and clothing for the mission. Her eyes hovered over the rows of sniper rifles, and she reached up to take an M14 EBR.

"I wouldn't take that, if I were you." whispered a strong British voice.

"Ghost!" gasped Enya, spinning around. "Wow, way to sneak up on me!"

"Sorry 'bout that." he said, crossing his arms over his chest. "What I meant to say is, don't take a sniper rifle. The streets are going to be way too crowded, and I doubt you'll be able to stay still for too long once things get going."

"I see what you mean. What weapons do **you **recommend?" she asked, fighting back a more sarcastic retort. Ghost walked over to another shelf and tossed her an M1014. She grimaced, fighting the urge to toss the weapon away. _God, I hate shotguns!_ Ghost searched another shelf, and came back with an ACR.

"My favourite weapon." he explained, handing her the gun. "The ACR with an ACOG scope. This one's also got a grenade launcher. You know how to use one?" Enya nodded, and slung the weapons over her back.

"Thanks Ghost." she whispered.

Enya sat on the floor of the Pave Low, surrounded by her team. Her dark brown hair was pulled into a tight braid, and dark grey combat pants covered her legs. A simple bulletproof vest was thrown over a green sweatshirt; the pockets bulging with grenades and ammunition. The others, dressed similarly, were slumped on the benches and the floor, staring off into space. Without thinking, Enya slid along the floor towards Roach, who was leaning against a bench, lost in though.

"Hey Enya." he whispered, opening one eye. "You ready for this?"

"No." she whispered back. "You?"

"Of course not. I can't get over the pre-mission fears, and I've been on too many to count." he said, sighing.

"Don't worry, Roach. Everything'll be great." she said, a reassuring smile breaking out on her face. _It's funny, the rookie comforting the veteran._ Roach must have been thinking the same thing, as a blush was beginning to creep into his cheeks. Enya laughed, and squeezed his hand.

"Hey, let's do this."

**Another A**/**N**: I am well aware that this chapter sucks.

Anyways, noticed the Ghost quote, used before Ghost uses it. I'm building the relationship between Ghost and Enya, and besides, no where in CoD 6 does it explain the origin of the quote. It is left to be expanded on. I am expanding on it! Also, who knows why Roach was blushing...out of embarrassment...or something more (heh heh). Reviews are, as always, loved. Let's just hope I don't read them whilst on caffeine. Let's just say that dancing around while hyped from caffeine will put a dent in the floor joists...and my sibling's don't love my squealing. Ta ta!


	8. Favela

**A**/**N**: Fuck you, Writer's Block. After suffering for several days, and listening to **Coup de Grâce **and Depeche Mode,and **GETTING A GHOST BALACLAVA,** I finally figured out what to type. Special thanks to **Reeserella**,** Arhani 'Hanny' Daforcena, ecto1B, citgirl, **and** Mercs2Girl **for their reviews!

BTW, I am changing the order of the levels around just a bit, I am sorry that I forgot to mention this earlier. Sorry for any confusion, and enjoy the chapter!

**WARNING: This chapter will contain descriptions of the torture inflicted on Rojas's assistant. If you don't like that kind of stuff, well, here you go. A warning.**

Sorry about this taking so long.

Fire: Chapter Eight

Favela

_Heat. There just has to be more heat._

The burning, 28°C temperature was making itself known as Enya slipped through the alleys, trying to keep up with Ghost. Her gear had never felt heavier, in her mind, and jogging through filthy alleyways was just adding to her discomfort. The site that they were supposed to be clearing sprawled out in front of her; a large area, crowded with machinery. The ever-present sounds of the city were strong here, along with the creaking of the wires and metal. Ghost came to a stop in front of her, and, without warning, crouched behind a low wall. Enya mimicked his movements, and pulled herself next to him. His head peeked up over the wall as he looked around, and he gently punched Enya's arm. Slowly, she looked over the wall, towards the site. Three men were standing around the entrance to the building, facing the street. She quickly pulled herself back behind the wall, and raised her eyebrow expectantly.

"Those three are guards, they'll move along in a couple of minutes. That's when their shift ends." he explained. "Once they head inside, we'll have about a minute to get over to the crane at the front of the site, where we'll set up a monitoring position. Get ready to move." Enya nodded, and took a deep, steadying breath. When Ghost nodded to her, she slowly stood, eyes on the truck-mounted crane that Ghost had mentioned.

"Okay...Go!" he whispered. Enya leaped over the wall, and took off running across the street. As soon as she reached the crane, Enya dropped. Heart pounding, she curled herself into a ball, praying that she hadn't been seen. A light tap on her arm sent a curse flying from her lips, and she found herself looking into the covered eyes of Ghost.

"Stay focused." he whispered, peeking around the crane. His hand slipped up to his radio; fingers fiddling with the dials. "Mactavish, this is Ghost. We're in position, eyes on three tangos, no sign of Rojas or his assistant here."

"Copy that, we're trailing a suspect vehicle now. Search the building, minimal casualties. Keep me posted, out." said Mactavish, his voice stern and garbled by the radio.

"Alright, we'll go in through the roof. There's a ladder on the other side of the building. Let's move." said Ghost. Enya nodded and followed Ghost, who was jogging around the crane.

_Just don't look down._

Climbing was simple, a task she had mastered at an early age. Climbing a slippery ladder was a bit more complicated, but could still be done. But climbing a slippery ladder in the heat, weighed down by gear, and praying not to be seen was a different task altogether, and Enya was fighting the urge to stop, to turn around, and hide behind the crane again. After what felt like an eternity, they reached the roof. A maintenance door came into view; unguarded and weak. Ghost slipped forward, chuckling slightly as he opened the door. The two stepped into the building, and slowly walked down a set of stairs. No one was in the hall, or the small grey rooms that lined the halls, or the office. The building appeared to be deserted; a fact that worried Enya slightly. Just as fear began to set in, a voice was heard. She stopped, listening closely. Three more voices presented themselves, thick with Portuguese, and surprisingly loud. The room that they were coming from was locked, and featured a window in the middle of the door. Enya slipped forward, peeking through the thin glass. The men, crowded around a television, were obviously unimportant. They weren't even armed. Satisfied, Enya walked back to Ghost.

"Nothing." she whispered. "Let's get out of here."

Enya stood in the street, eyes glued to the site they had just left. Ghost was deep in conversation with Mactavish, but she wasn't listening.

_No-one was killed there. No-one was hurt. Relax._

"Ghost, the plates are a match." hissed Mactavish, urgency flooding his thick accent. Enya jerked to attention, pressing her hand to the radio in hopes of a clearer signal.

"Copy, any sign of Rojas's right-hand man?" asked Ghost, his voice also strained.

"Negative, they've stopped twice already, no sign of him." he answered. "Wait, they've stopped again, standby." Enya's heartbeat picked up slightly as the mission progressed, the first flickers of excitement flooding into her brain.

"Got a positive I.D. Whoever these guys are, they aren't happy to see him." said Mactavish, his voice cutting through the hum of the streets. The sound of gunfire flew through the radio, and Enya gasped.

"Ghost, we've got a situation here. GET DOWN, GET DOWN!" yelled Mactavish. A car horn blared through the radio, causing Enya to wince. _What the hell is happening over there?_

"He's getting away! Roach, let's go, let's go!"

"Come on, let's get over there, now!" said Ghost, taking off into a sprint. Enya followed, surprised at the tone of his voice; emotionless, strained.

"Ghost, Enya, our driver's dead, we're on foot. Meet us at the hotel Rio and cut him off if you can!" ordered Mactavish. Chaos met her ears, the ring of gunfire, the screech of tires, and the sounds of panic echoing through the crowded streets.

"Roger, we're on the way!" called Enya, wincing as the movements of her legs caused her ankle to twinge slightly. _Damn, I though that was over days ago!_

It wasn't long before Enya saw Roach. His eyes were flashing behind their goggles, and ACR clutched in his hands, a determined strength to his stride. He ran across the street, overtaking Mactavish and Ghost.

"He went into the alley!" called Ghost, pointing towards it.

"Non-lethal takedowns only, we need him alive!" yelled Mactavish, his voice strong and strained again. "Roach, take the shot, go for his legs."

Roach crouched down, pulled the sights up towards his eye, and lightly squeezed the trigger. A second later, the assistant fell; curses flying from his mouth.

"He's down." said Roach, slinging the gun onto his back.

"Enya, secure him and bring him over to this garage. Ghost, go back to the car and grab the tools. Roach, start getting some stuff for barriers together, we need to block off the alley, keep the militia off our backs." ordered Mactavish. Everyone nodded, and went towards their assigned tasks. Enya walked towards the assistant. He lay curled on the ground, whimpering softly. She knelt down and pushed him into a sitting position. He struggled slightly, and she clenched his wrists tightly, wrapping a white plastic band around them.

"Stand up." she hissed. He didn't move, so she pulled him up. Ignoring his cries of pain, she walked him towards the garage. Mactavish was standing in the garage, and he reached down and pulled him into the garage, and onto a metal chair.

"Good." he said, binding the assistant to the chair with thin wires. Enya turned around and saw Ghost, a toolbox and a car battery clutched in his hand. Enya winced, seeing where this one was going.

"Ghost, stay here and help me set up. Enya, go help Roach." he said, not even looking up from the assistant.

"Yes sir." she whispered, walking away.

"Roach, this is going to take some time. Go with Meat and Royce and check the favela for any signs of Rojas, that's where this guy was headed." ordered Mactavish. He motioned for Enya to climb up into the garage, and pulled the door shut.

"Good luck, Roach." she whispered into her radio.

Ghost stood next to the assistant, sparks flying from the cables he was preparing. The assistant twitched in his seat, blood still dripping from the bullet hole in his leg.

"What is your name?" she whispered, crouching next to him. He clamped his lips shut, refusing to answer, and Enya sighed.

"This'll be a lot better for you if you answer us." she said, sighing again when he continued to ignore her.

"Você não ganha nada fora de mim." he hissed.

"Anyone know what he's saying?" Enya asked, still looking at the assistant. The other two shook their heads, and went back to setting up for the torture. Ghost leaned over and clamped the cables onto the chair. Mactavish finished readying a set of knives, and he nodded to Ghost, signalling him to begin.

"Alright, tell me your name, and this won't hurt as much." he said, frightening seriousness creeping into his voice. The assistant shook his head, refusing to answer. Ghost, growing frustrated, turned on the battery, letting electricity flow into his body.

The effect was instantaneous; he screamed, shouted, and squirmed in his seat. Curses in English and Portuguese flew from his mouth, and tears sprang into his eyes.

"Não, pare, pare! O meu nome...meu nome é Anxo! Por favor, pare!" he screamed, and Ghost stopped the electricity.

"Anxo, eh? That wasn't so hard, was it?" Now as much as I enjoyed getting to know you, that isn't why you are here. We know that it was you and Rojas that supplied Makarov with the weapons for his attack. Where is Makarov?" said Ghost. Anxo whimpered, shaking his head. Ghost sighed, and reached over the table, grabbing one of the knives. Enya flinched and turned away, trying to focus on her radio.

The sound of gunfire carried over the channel, mixed with the shouts of the militia and the footsteps of her team.

"Roach, you alright?" she whispered, praying that Ghost and Mactavish weren't listening closely to their radios.

"Yeah, M'okay." he replied, static, gunshots, and a newly-screaming Anxo nearly drowning out his voice. "Lots of militia, but no sign of Rojas."

She breathed a sigh of relief, glad to hear his voice, and turned back towards Anxo. One look at him made her wish she hadn't.

Several deep, jagged cuts marked his arms and chest. The veins in his body were raised and visible through his skin; an effect of the electricity. Bruises covered his face, and his scalp was slit, causing blood to pour down his face and neck. His eyes were dark and sunken, fear burning underneath the blackness. He shook and swayed in his seat, sweat and blood dripping onto the floor. He was broken, near death, yet Ghost was not finished with him.

"All I want to know is where Rojas went? Where is he?" he shouted. Rojas gulped and shook, lips clamped shut.

"All right then, if that's what you want." whispered Ghost, drawing the knife again. A quick flick of his wrist sliced two fingers off of Anxo's left hand. Anxo screamed again, bowing his head and sobbing, blood dripping from the two stumps.

"Ele está correndo para o oeste através da favela! Ele tem o transporte do outro lado, ele vai deixar o país." he whispered, still crying. Ghost looked up at Mactavish, who nodded. Also nodding, Ghost pulled out the knife one last time, and plunged it into Anxo's chest, twisting it slightly. Anxo shuddered slightly, and slumped in his seat; dead. Without withdrawing the blade, Ghost stood, disconnected the wires from the chair, opened the garage, and jumped out. Enya followed, looking back at Anxo one last time. Turning her radio on again, she rushed along the alley, running after Mactavish, and towards Rojas, and Roach.

**Another A/N**: Holy crap, this chapter's a biggun!

To save you a Google translate, "Anxo" says the following three sentences:

"You'll get nothing out of me."

"No, stop, stop! My name...my name is Anxo! Please, stop!"

"He's running west through the favela! He has transport on the other side, he'll leave the country."

Anyways, I apologize again for this taking so long, all it took for me to write this was a shit-load of caffeine, a few replays of the level "Takedown", and a few elaborate lies. Hope you liked it, and please review!


	9. Manhunt

**A**/**N**: Hey everyone! Good news! My marks are going back up, so I'm free to write more often! Of course, in the eyes of Fate and Karma, it came at a price. I sprained my knee a couple of days ago, and have been suffering through crippling headaches that make it difficult to function. After a couple of days, I decided "screw it, I'm going to finish this freaking chapter." And here it is.

Special thanks to **soulangel666, Mercs2Girl, "o", and Reeserella **for their reviews!

This chapter isn't overly violent, but there is still some killing and stuff.

Enjoy the chapter!

Fire: Chapter Nine

Manhunt:

"Meat is down! I repeat, Meat is down!" screamed Royce, his frantic call piercing Enya's ears as she sprinted after Mactavish. After learning the direction Rojas was heading, Enya, Mactavish, and Ghost immediately started running after him.

"Royce! Royce, you there?" asked Enya.

"Roach! I'm hit!" said Royce, his voice weakening. Enya stopped, stunned. _Holy Crap, I can't believe this. They're gone._

"Enya, come on!" called Ghost. Enya groaned, and kept running, searching the rooftops and alleyways for Rojas. It wasn't long before he came into view, running through the upper levels of the favela.

"Roach, we've got Rojas's location! He's heading west along the upper levels of the favela. We'll keep him from doubling back on our side, keep going and cut him off at the top!" Mactavish yelled.

"What about Meat and Royce?" asked Roach, hints of fear hidden in his voice.

"There's no time for backup, you're gonna have to do this on your own! Good luck. Out." said Mactavish.

Enya winced slightly as she fought to keep up with Mactavish and Ghost. _Poor Roach. How the heck does he stay alive?_

As they ran through the upper levels, Enya caught sight of Roach. He was crouched behind an old, trashed car, being shot at from all sides. _Damn, I wish I had a sniper rifle right now!_

"Roach, you ok?" she asked, fighting to keep the fear out of her voice.

"I'm having the time of my life right now. You?" he asked. Enya laughed, despite the danger.

"I'm doing great, keeping pace with Mactavish and Ghost. Damn, they can run fast. You've got a few guys hiding behind those barrels on the roof, just so you know." she said. Looking down, she saw Roach throw a grenade up onto the roof, killing the militia instantly. After looking around, he climbed over the car and ran into one of the buildings, and she lost sight of him.

"Enya, keep up!" called Ghost. "Rojas isn't going to wait around for you!" Enya blushed and ran faster, wincing again as her ankle started to sting.

"Crap!" she heard Roach call over the radio. "Stupid ambushes!"

"Roach, this is their territory, they'll know it well. Keep an eye open for ambush positions, and check your corners!" she advised.

"Copy." he said, gunshots making it difficult to hear him.

Soon, they reached a fork in their route. _Crap, now what?_

"Split up." ordered Mactavish. "Whatever you do, do not harm him!" he said, before sprinting off into a building to the left

"Good luck, Enya." said Ghost, rushing into another building on the right.

_Looks like I'm alone._

The street was narrow and cluttered, and, surprisingly, empty. Enya slowed herself down to a jog, moving through the street. This area was quiet_...Too quiet. _

A sudden shout of Portuguese sounded out, and a rocket came flying down from one of the roofs. Enya started sprinting again, one hand wrapping itself around a holster that housed her M1911. Shots echoed around her, and Enya dove into a small alley. Gripping her pistol, Enya whipped around, searching the alley. One man jumped out from behind a barrel, and without thinking, Enya lifted the pistol, and pulled the trigger.

_One._

Jogging past the bleeding body, Enya continued down the alley, pushing a door open, and sealing it behind her. Enya stopped at the top of a set of stairs. Footsteps could be heard, running up the stairs at a frantic pace. Enya readied her pistol, and slipped around the corner.

_**Roach?**_

"Looks like Mactavish was wrong, there is time for backup." he said, a smile slipping across his face. "Come on, we have to go." Roach started running again. Enya followed him closely, jamming her pistol back into its holster.

"Roach, watch the rooftops! We've had a few close calls with RPGs and machine guns positioned up high! We're taking heavy fire from militia here, but I'm still tracking Rojas! He's gone into a building! Ghost, you see him?" shouted Mactavish, his sudden call startling Enya slightly.

A window flew open, and a lone man opened fire.

"Crap, move!" shouted Enya, pushing Roach around the corner of a building.

Roach peeked back around, scope held to his eye, and quickly shot down the man in the window.

"Roger that, he's climbing onto a roof carrying a black duffel bag!" replied Ghost.

"Well, that ought to slow him down." said Enya, sarcastically.

"Enya, where the hell are you?" asked Ghost, a slight note of concern buried in his strong accent.

"I'm with Roach, I found him near the stairs to the upper parts of the favela." she explained.

"Roger that, we'll keep him from doubling back. Keep moving to intercept!" ordered Mactavish.

Nodding to her, Roach tore around the corner, and Enya followed. A narrow, crowded street met her eyes, and Enya groaned. Running towards a doorway, Enya dove inside, motioning for Roach to follow her.

"Roach, Enya! Don't let the militia pin you down for too long! Use your flashbangs on them." said Ghost.

Enya reached into one of the pockets on her bulletproof vest, pulling out a flashbang. She grinned at Roach, and tossed the flashbang out into the street. At the sound of the detonation, Enya jumped up, aimed her ACR, and fired into the street.

_Two, three, four, five..._

Roach slipped out of the building, his ACR joining hers as the cleared the street. Enya crouched, and slowly moved up the stairs, aiming for the roof. Several militia appeared, their heads peeking down, AK-47's held in their arms. With the precision of the sniper she was, Enya aimed for their heads, taking down enemy after enemy.

_Nine, ten, eleven, twelve..._

It wasn't long before the street was clear, and the two moved forward. Enya and Roach ran up a set of stairs, eyes on the roofs above them. A man jumped around the corner, shotgun in hand. Before Enya could react, Roach leapt forward, firing three bullets into the man's chest. As the man fell, his shotgun fired into the air, and Enya winced at the sound.

"Holy crap, Roach." she said, and Roach smirked.

"We're even now, right?" he asked.

"Nope." she said, laughing. "I saved you back in the lower favela." They both grinned, and started running.

"I've got a visual on Rojas, he's cutting through the market." called Ghost.

Another building came into sight, swarming with militia. The roofs of the buildings had many men perched on them, RPGs in hand.

"Roger that! I'll head for the rooftops and try to cut him off on the right! He's gonna have no choice but to head west!" replied Mactavish. Enya aimed up at the roof to the left, killing the militia before they could fire their RPGs.

"I'm taking a lot of fire from the militia, I don't think I can track him through the market! I'm gonna have to find another way around!" shouted Ghost.

The door of the building sprang open, and several militia appeared. Roach armed a grenade, and tossed it into the group of militia. As the explosion rang through the streets, they moved forward. As they ran, a few men opened the windows of the building on the left.

"Be advised, I'm about half a klick east of the market, I can see Rojas running across the rooftops on my right side!" said Ghost.

"Roger that! Roach! We're still corralling him closer to your side of the hill! Keep an eye open for Rojas! He's making his way across the rooftops!" ordered Mactavish.

"Hurry!" called Enya. Entering the building, Enya readied her pistol, and turned the corner, killing a man who was crouched behind a low wall. A Dragunov caught her eye, and Enya grinned. Throwing her M1014 aside, Enya picked up the Dragunov, and aimed it out the window.

"Sir, I've got Rojas in my sights! We can go for a clean leg shot! We can end it here!" called Ghost, his eagerness unsuppressed by the radio static."

"Negative, we can't risk it! Do not engage!" roared Mactavish.

"Bollocks! Roger that!" said Ghost, in a frustrated tone.

"I'll take care of the militia in that building." she said. Roach nodded, and slipped out of the building. Enya brought the scope to her eye, aimed for one of the gunners in the window, and fired. Repeating the same steps, Enya killed all of the men in the windows. Roach moved up, tossing a flashbang through the door, and finished off the men inside. After finishing with the building, they focused on the rest of the street, emptying it of the militia.

"Roach, Enya! Keep moving uphill! I've cut him off! He's got nowhere to go but west over the rooftops in your area! He knows the area well but we can trap him here! Don't stop! Go! Go!" shouted Mactavish.

"Copy that!" replies Enya. "Roach, the street is clear! Let's move!"

Roach nodded, and the two started running again.

They turned a corner, and a large white building came into view. Machine guns were perched on the balconies, and RPGs covered the top of the building.

_Shit!_

Suddenly, a man rushed across the roof of a nearby building.

"I see him!" shouted Enya.

"Don't shoot! We need him unharmed!" ordered Mactavish. Enya spotted a set of stairs leading into a building.

"Roach, in here!" she called. They sprinted up the stairs and into the building. Enya crouched in the doorway, and loaded her Dragunov. Aiming, Enya cleared the rooftops of machine-gunners and RPGs.

_Twenty-two, twenty-three, twenty-four..._

After finishing with the rooftops, Enya ran out of the building and dove under a wooden walkway. Several men were on the roof in front of her, firing at Roach. Enya readied a grenade and tossed it onto the roof, killing the men and sending the pieces of their weapons flying down.

"And that's twice I've saved your ass with a grenade!" shouted Enya. Roach laughed, and aimed for the other rooftops, clearing them quickly.

"Ghost he's going for that motorcycle! We've got eyes on Rojas...wait! Shite! he's headed back towards you!" said Mactavish.

Enya ran forward, climbing over the metal rooftops and into an alley, Roach on her heels. Soon, they reached a bunch more stairs.

"Nice! He's breaking to the right again! If you see him, do not shoot him! I need him unharmed! Roach, Enya, keep pushing him uphill! Don't let him double back! He's on the move and headed your way!"

"Wonderful." muttered Enya, as more militia jumped into the street. Enya pulled out her pistol, running in front of Roach, shooting down anyone that got in the way. They approached the end of the street, and tore through another alleyway.

"Ghost, I'm going far right!" said Mactavish.

"Roger that!" replied Ghost. Enya and Roach rounded the corner, looking around the intersection. Rojas was there, running across a balcony towards a car.

"He's going to get away!" screamed Enya. Ghost came into the intersection, ACR clenched in his hands.

"No he's not." said Mactavish, diving from the window next to Rojas. The two men tumbled off the balcony, and onto a car. With Rojas pinned, Mactavish reached for a pistol, holding it in front of Rojas.

"Frontrunner, this is Bravo Six. We've got the package. I repeat we have got the package." said Mactavish, a calm tone replacing the panic of his earlier commands. Ghost knelt down, hand flying to his radio.

"Command, ready for dustoff. Send the chopper. Coordinates to fol...Bollocks! The skies are clear! Send the chopper now!" He sighed, looking at Mactavish.

"Command's got their head up their arse. We're on our own."

**Another A**/**N**: I know, it isn't realistic at all, Enya meeting up with Roach. To be honest, the layout of this level confuses the hell out of me, and I don't know if Enya could have found Roach. Whatever.

Well, Takedown is done! On to The Hornet's Nest!

Review S.V.P.


	10. Circumvent

**A**/**N**: Woot! Another chapter! I've had a lot of time to write lately, I get really restless when injured, and I decided to put my mind and fingers to use, and write another chapter. For anyone who's been wondering about Enya's lack of a call sign, pay attention to this chapter, 'cause it'll appear briefly. Special thanks to **soulangel666, VerityA, **and** Reeserella **for their reviews!

BTW, "Alejandro Rojas" is a Spanish name, therefore, Rojas will speak Spanish. Just thought I'd clear that up now. Also, I changed the way Rojas was tortured. It didn't make sense to me, interrogating him in the open. That would attract a lot of attention, wouldn't it?

**WARNING!**** This chapter has the torture of Rojas in it. If you don't like that kind of stuff, you've been warned!**

Fire: Chapter Ten

Circumvent:

_Abandoned._

_Apparently it's nothing to sneak into the country to capture an arms dealer. It's nothing to chase him through crowded, civilian-filled streets, dodging bullets, and trying to stay **freaking** alive. It's nothing to torture him and his assistant to death. **It's nothing**. How come getting the hell out of here is such a big deal? Why would they abandon us? Shouldn't Shepherd be trying to get us out of here? What the hell is going on?_

With grim expressions, Ghost, Mactavish, Roach, and Enya pulled Alejandro Rojas along a narrow alley, searching for a place to interrogate him. They needed somewhere quiet, out of the way, and far from civilians, and the alley wasn't presenting them any place that met the requirements.

A black door caught Enya's attention, and she let go of Rojas's arm, and walked towards it. The door had a lock and a small window on it, and Enya peeked in. A small, dark room met her eyes, and she grinned, turning to the others.

"I found something!" she called. Mactavish nodded to the rest, and they all went over to the door. Enya loaded her M1911, and shot the lock off of the door, opening it. Light flooded into the room, revealing dusty boxes, wooden tables, metal shelves, and rusty tools.

"Must be a store-room." said Roach. The three men pushed Rojas down. Reaching into another pouch on her vest, Enya grabbed a flashlight, and shut the door. The room grew very dark, and Enya switched her flashlight on, illuminating the space again. The others followed suit, and soon the room was light again.

"Now, let's begin." said Ghost, looking over the rusty tools. His eyes landed on an old power drill, and he picked it up, examining the batteries. He turned to Enya, and she shivered slightly.

"Tie him to that shelf over there." he ordered, a serious tone taking over his accent. Nodding, Enya pulled him to his feet, and bound his arms to the shelf with metal wires. With his arms spread above him, he resembled the statue of Christo Redentor, an observation that caused another shiver to run down her spine.

"Something wrong?" asked Roach, causing Enya to jump.

"Didn't I tell you to stop sneaking up on me?" she asked, a tired weakness taking the place of her usual voice. Roach's eyes raised behind his goggles, and he looked at her with concern.

"What's wrong, Enya?" he asked, voice dropping low, so he didn't alert the others.

"I don't like torture." she replied. "I know what Ghost does during his 'interrogations', and it scares me." A slight redness appeared in her cheeks, and she looked away. Before Roach could question her further, Mactavish began to hand out orders.

"Alright, this is going to be quick, we need to get the hell out of here as soon as we can. Roach, I want you to barricade the area again. Enya, go back to the intersection, and get the battery out of the car. Ghost and I'll try again to get us some transport." Enya nodded again, and opened the door.

The streets were empty and silent, with no evidence of the brutal firefight that had just taken place. Not wanting to spend any more time in the open, Enya hurried to the intersection. A car, smashed by Mactavish and Rojas's suicidal dive from the balcony, sat in front of her. Enya pulled the mangled hood off of the car, and disconnected the battery. After slamming the car's hood back onto the car, Enya ran back into the alley, anxious to get back to the others, and out of the sunlight, and into her own personal hell.

The cables of the battery were clamped to Rojas, the tools were patched together and laid out on a table, and Ghost was standing in front of Rojas, fingers draped idly over the dial on the battery.

"You want to ask him a question?" asked Ghost, looking at Enya. She shuddered slightly, before answering.

"Sure." she said, unwillingly walking forward. Rojas shook his head, shutting his mouth. Enya raised her eyebrow slightly, curious as to his reaction to her.

"No hables de mí, **niña**." he hissed, startling Enya.

"We know you can speak English!" said Ghost. "We also know that you supplied a man named Makarov with a shite-load of weapons. Where is he?"

Rojas shook his head.

"You're just like your assistant." said Ghost, in a deathly whisper. "You should see what I did to him."

"Usted lo mató, ¿verdad?" he asked.

"Speak English!" shouted Ghost. A silence crept in, and Enya fidgeted, knowing what was coming next.

Electricity poured into Rojas, and he howled in pain. He thrashed on the ground, arms twisting painfully as he fought the electrical current that surged through him. After a few minutes, Ghost stopped the electricity, and leaned in close to Rojas.

"You are aware of what he used the weapons for, right? Genocide, mass murder. He killed one of our men, with the weapons you gave him!" whispered Ghost, causing Rojas to shake. "Still not going to talk? Alright, if you insist..." Ghost reached over to the table, and grabbed the power drill.

Enya gasped, and turned away. Grabbing her flashlight and a combat knife, Enya tried to focus on carving her name into the flashlight, trying to ignore the screams of pain, and the roar of the power drill.

_E..._

"Tell me where Makarov is, now!"

_N..._

"You are only making this difficult for yourself!"

_Y..._

"Tell me what I need to know, now! I can make this a lot more painful!"

_A..._

A silence crept over the room. Taking a deep breath, Enya looked back at Rojas. Drawing a sickening inspiration from his bleeding, broken body, Enya walked towards Rojas again, looking him straight in the eye.

"You are going to die. You know that, right? Makarov won't waste his time coming after a dead man who told a secret. Even if you survive these injuries, do you really think that we'll let you out of here alive. Why can't you just tell us? You'll save yourself a lot more pain." she whispered, her voice dropping lower with each word. Rojas whimpered and shook, staring down at the punctured, bleeding remains of his torso.

"I...do not know where Makarov is." he said in a heavily accented and pain-strangled voice. "I know someone who can help...a man who hates Makarov."

"Who?" asked Enya.

"Prisoner 627." he breathed. "He is in a gulag, east of...Petropavlovsk." he struggled over the last word, and fell silent again.

"I don't think he'll say anything else." said Enya, the same weakness from before creeping back into her voice. "Kill him, please. He's suffering."

"He deserves it." said Ghost, clenching a combat knife tight, ready to stab him. Before she could think, Enya grabbed her pistol, pushed it against Rojas's temple, closed her eyes, and pulled the trigger.

_Thirty._

Blood splattered the walls near Rojas, covering his body in a dark redness. Ignoring the looks of surprise on the men's faces, Enya put her pistol away, and crossed her arms, waiting for orders.

"Bad news." began Mactavish. "Russia has invaded America. They must have copied the ACS, gotten the key to every lock in America."

Enya winced, shocked at what they'd missed while in Rio.

"The Russians are killing a thousand Americans for every dead civilian in Moscow." explained Ghost.

"It looks like we're all out of friends." said Roach. "Now what are we going to do?" Everyone fell silent, lost in thought.

"I know a guy." said Mactavish, suddenly. "Let's find a payphone. They still exist?"

Enya fought back a laugh as they left the room, shutting the door behind them.

"All we got out of Rojas is that the one guy Makarov hates worse than Americans is locked up in a gulag." said Ghost, explaining everything again as they searched the streets for a payphone. Spotting one, Mactavish began the call.

"Alright, we've got transport." said Mactavish. "Now, all we've got to do is get the hell out of here." said Mactavish.

"Sir," interrupted Ghost. "The militia's closing in. Almost two hundred of them, front and back." Enya focused, listening; she could hear their shouts, echoing around them as they ran up a grassy hill.

"We're going to have to fight our way to the LZ, then." said Mactavish. As they reached the top, Mactavish started to fiddle with his radio.

"Nikolai, we're at the top level of the favela, about to be swarmed by militia. Bring the chopper to the market, over." he ordered.

"Okay, my friend, I am on the way." Nikolai's strong Russian accent brought a smile to Enya's face.

_We haven't been abandoned, after all._

"Tangos at ground level, dead ahead!" called Enya, aiming her ACR at the militia. A few seconds later, the group of men fell, only to be replaced by more. Militia poured around the corners, jumped down from low roofs, and set up sniping positions up high. It was chaos. Pure chaos.

"Cover me!" she shouted to Roach, who nodded. Enya ran towards a low wall, taking cover and loading her Dragunov. Aiming through the scope, Enya eliminated the men on the roofs, saving her team from sniper fire. She watched as Ghost ran around a corner, aiming for a group of militia that were hiding in a shack.

"Need some help?" she asked over the radio. She heard Ghost laugh as he cleared out the shack.

"I take it that's a no?" asked Enya, bringing another short laugh into being.

"We've got to get to the helicopter! Head through the gate to the market! Move!" shouted Mactavish.

"Crap, more foot-mobiles on the rooftops, closing in from the south!" said Roach, his panic garbled by the static of the radios.

"I just freaking cleared the roof." hissed Enya, as she aimed back at the roof, clearing it of militia again.

_Thirty-nine, forty, forty-one..._

The streets seemed clear, so they moved forward, heading for the gate. A sudden crash sent them running back to cover, as a vehicle with a mounted gun burst into the favela.

"Technical coming in from the south!" shouted Ghost. Enya grabbed a grenade, and loaded the launcher on her ACR. Aiming for the back of the vehicle, Enya pulled the trigger, sending a grenade flying into the back, killing everyone inside. Another technical came into the favela, replacing the one just destroyed.

"We've got another technical!" said Roach, looking expectantly at Enya. Sighing, Enya loaded another grenade. After the vehicle was finished off, the road became "safe", and they ran back towards the gate. A large group of militia waited around the corner, opening fire as soon as they came into sight. Jumping back around the corner, Mactavish cooked a grenade, and tossed it around. Peeking around, Enya noticed the destruction, the broken bodies, and turned back to Mactavish, nodding sombrely.

They went back around the corner, taking cover behind a wall, facing a grassy yard. More militia hid in the yard, but were killed quickly.

_Fifty-four, fifty-five, fifty-six._

"Let's go, we've got to push through these streets to the market! Watch for flanking routes!" ordered Mactavish. The four encountered a fork, and without speaking, paired up and ran to clear the street. Enya ran left, with Roach following her. While running, Enya readied a grenade, throwing it onto the roofs above her. Satisfied that the way was clear, Enya and Roach kept running, arriving at a wide, busy street. Militia ran around the streets and balconies, firing blindly into the street. Splitting from Roach, Enya slipped into a back alley, finding her way into one of the buildings. Soon, Enya was on the roofs, sneaking up on the militia. A quick flashbang slowed them, and soon the rooftops and balconies were cleared. Grinning slightly, Enya ran down the stairs, heading for the main intersection.

"Roach, clear that alley on the left!" ordered Ghost.

"Keep moving, we're almost at the market!" called Mactavish. As they reached the field before the market, another technical opened fire. Ghost, Mactavish, and Enya crouched behind a concrete barrier, and Enya loaded her grenade launcher again.

"Cover me." she whispered to the two men, peeking the launcher over the barrier. As she looked up, the militia started shooting again, and Enya quickly pulled the trigger and crouched down again. A loud explosion and a few strangled shouts of Portuguese told her that she had hit her target, and a quick look over the barrier confirmed the destruction. Once the field was clear, Roach ran out of a side-alley, joining them.

"Spread out and cut through the market!" ordered Mactavish. They moved towards the entrance, each person going a slightly different way.

"Contacts above us, 11 o'clock, firing blind!" warned Ghost. Enya cursed, aiming her ACR up, clearing the walkways above the market.

_Ninety, ninety-one, ninety-two..._

"Tango coming out of the shack on the right!" said Roach. The crowed confines of the market were making it difficult to aim, so Enya reached for her pistol. Running through the twisted maze of shacks, Enya cleared her way through, and caught up with the others, all running through a building.

"There's Nikolai's Pave Low!" said Mactavish. Faint smiles appeared on all of their faces as they tore through the building.

"Nikolai, E.T.A. 20 seconds, be ready for immediate dustoff!"

"That may not be fast enough!" called Nikolai, his voice filled with panic. "I see more militia closing in on the market."

"Pick up the pace! Let's go!" called Mactavish, a hint of desperation flooding the order.

"It's too hot, we will not survive this landing!" screamed Nikolai. He was right; dozens of militia opened fire on the Pave Low, sending rockets shooting into the sky.

"Nikolai, wave off! We'll meet you at the secondary LZ instead!" shouted Mactavish.

"Very well, I will meet you there. Good luck!" said Nikolai, steering the Pave Low away from the market. Strangely, the area cleared out as the Pave Low disappeared, making a quick advance possible. They rushed forward, climbed up a wall, sprinting across the rooftops.

"My friend, from up here, it looks like the whole village is trying to kill you." informed Nikolai.

"Tell me something I don't know! Just get ready to pick us up!" said Mactavish, the sarcasm lost in the panic.

"We're running out of rooftop!" yelled Ghost. The space left to run was rapidly decreasing; a large gap became visible.

"We can make it!" screamed Enya, shutting her eyes tight as she approached the gap. Willing her tired legs to push her to safety, Enya leapt across the gap. Wincing slightly as her sore ankle hit the roof, Enya turned around, watching the rest of her team jump. Ghost and Mactavish jumped easily, but Roach seemed to slow down as he jumped. His fingers grazed the edge, and Mactavish dove forward to catch him. Before he could reach, Roach yelled out in fear, and fell from the rooftop. _No! Roach!_

"Roach!" she screamed into the radio, running back to the edge, trying to find him. She crouched, ready to jump after him, before Ghost grabbed her arm.

"Get in the chopper." he said, a seriousness creeping back into his voice. Blindly, Enya climbed the ladder, tears forming in her eyes.

"Roach...Roach!" shouted Mactavish. Enya ignored him, afraid to look down, afraid to see Roach.

"Roach, we can see them from the chopper. They're coming for you, dozens of them!" yelled Ghost. The sound of gunfire reached her ears, even through the sound of the Pave Low, and Enya winced. Looking down, Enya caught a glimpse of Roach as the Pave Low moved away, trying to find a place to pick him up.

"Roach! There's too many of them! Get the hell out of there and find a way to the rooftops! Move! Run for it! Get to the rooftops!" shouted Mactavish.

Seconds passed, and Roach did not appear on the rooftops.

"Roach, we're circling the area but I can't see you! You've got to get to the rooftops!" said Mactavish. Several seconds later, a lone figure, running madly appeared on the roof. _Roach!_

"Roach, I see you! Jump down the rooftops and meet us south of your position, go!" said Mactavish.

"Gas is very low, I must leave in 30 seconds!" called Nikolai.

"Roach, we're running on fumes here!" said Enya, fighting to keep the raw fear out of her voice.

"Turn left and jump down!" ordered Mactavish. Below them, Roach ran, tearing across the rooftops, trying to find them. Sliding down the roof, Roach crashed through a window, and disappeared, only to reappear on the other side. The ladder rolled down, hovering a couple of feet from a ledge.

"Jump for it!" screamed Enya, fists clenched and eyes wide with fear. Roach ran towards the edge, putting every ounce of his strength into reaching the ladder. His hands wrapped around the rungs, and he slowly started to climb.

"Nikolai, we've got him!" said Mactavish, grinning. "Get us out of here!"

"Where to, my friend?" he asked.

"Just get us to the sub."

Roach climbed into the Pave Low, collapsing onto the floor, breathing heavily. Enya crawled over to him, helping him sit up.

"Roach, you ok?" she whispered.

"I'll live." he gasped. "You?"

"What do you mean? I'm fine." she explained, raising her eyebrow in confusion.

"You killed Rojas." he whispered, wincing as he stretched his legs.

"Can we not talk about this now, please?" she begged, looking down at her best friend pleadingly. Roach nodded, and pulled her into a sudden hug. Grinning, Enya hugged him back.

"Thank God you made it." she whispered, blinking back her tears.

"Yeah." he muttered, pulling her closer. "Lucky me." As they flew away from the danger, a single though clouded Enya's mind, and as hard as she tried, she could not forget what was trapped inside her thoughts.

_One. Hundred._

**Another A**/**N**: Holy Crap, huge chapter.

Guess what? It's almost three in the morning, and I have been writing this for about five hours straight! I got myself into a writing mood, and I don't ever ignore these moods, 'else it'll take weeks to update (it's happened before).

Review please, even though this chapter is about as wonderful as sleep deprivation.


	11. Nina

**A**/**N**: School sucks.

Special thanks to **VerityA**, **trevtrev04**, **Reeserella**, **ecto1B**, **soulangel666**, **Mercs2Girl**, **Scented of Roses**, and **DarkMGN** for their reviews, and thanks to the list of people who have alerted/faved this story. You guys keep me writing!

Anyway, this chapter is set before/during the very first bit of "The Only Easy Day...Was Yesterday", inside the U.S.S. Chicago. Although there will be MW2 dialogue in this chapter, there won't be any "action". However, something important will happen, so pay attention.

Enjoy!

Fire: Chapter Eleven

Nina:

_Private Enya -InsertCallSignHere- Clarke_

_So here I am, curled up on the couch, in a spare room of the U.S.S. Chicago, a submarine. It's a funny story, how I got my journal from Afghanistan. Worm brought it with him, when he, Shepherd, and a few other soldiers boarded the sub. Apparently, he went into the tents of the people in Rio, to grab some stuff for them. He must have looked under my bed for clothes or boots, and found this instead. I'm not really complaining, it is surprisingly comforting to have my journal with me._

_I got back from Rio a few hours ago, and I couldn't feel better about it. The crowded streets and the mass bloodshed became my own worst nightmare very quickly. I know I shouldn't have done it, but I kept track of every man I killed. I killed 100 people, and I can't get it out of my mind. I know that death is a big part of being a soldier, but it's the only part I can't seem to stomach. _

_I'd never killed anyone until today, if that can be believed. With the lack of global warfare and the availability of metal targets, I never had to kill anyone while learning to be a sniper. It's going to take me a while, but I'll have to get over it, like the others seem to have done._

_I feel like Rio has changed me, even though I was only there for a few hours. I witnessed the brutal torture of two men at the hands of Ghost. One of them, Anxo, was stubborn, and broke after much brutality. The other man, Rojas, he still scares me now, even though I "put him out of his misery" after his "interrogation". Ghost wanted me to ask Rojas something, and when I tried, Rojas replied with obvious hostility. I could only make out one word that he said, "nina". I don't know what it means, but I'll find out, later._

_I also came close to losing my best friend. We all had to jump across a gap in the rooftops to escape, and Gary missed the jump, and fell down into the streets. He had to run through the alleys and over the roofs, whilst dodging bullets. It was so difficult for me to watch him like that, and I swear I only started breathing right when he was in the Pave Low with the rest of us. I never want to go through this again._

A sudden knock on the door sounded out, drawing Enya out of her thoughts. The door creaked open, and Roach stepped into the room.

"Hey, Enya." he said, grinning. "Worm told me that he saw you heading over here, so I figured I'd come and find you." His eyes slid along her black-clad body, resting on the notebook sitting on her lap.

"What are you up to, all alone?" he asked.

"Nothing, just writing." she explained, shrugging. Silence crept over the room, so she decided to elaborate.

"It helps me relax, takes my mind off things." Roach nodded, sitting down next to her.

"You look troubled." he observed. His eyes met hers, and Enya blinked in surprise.

"You aren't wearing your goggles. Or your hat." she said.

"Don't change the subject." he ordered. His chocolate brown eyes met her bright green ones, and Enya flushed lightly.

"I'm just...upset about the way things went in Rio." she confessed. "I...I killed so many people there. I can't get it out of my head." Her gaze dropped to the floor, head bowed in sadness and shame. Without warning, Roach reached for her hand, squeezing it tight.

"You'll be alright, Enya. You'll pull through." he whispered. Tears formed in her eyes at his calming tone, and she jammed her eyes shut, trying to fight them back. Before she knew it, she was curled into the fetal position, tears pouring down her face.

"I've never...killed anyone...I never had to. I'm a soldier, why is this hurting me? I'm a soldier!" she whimpered. Roach pulled her close, letting her curl against him, still crying. His hands stroked her shoulders, running up and down her back in a soothing manner. Enya choked back a sob, and looked up at him. Their eyes met again, and the world froze, save for the tears, still falling from her eyes.

"I feel like a child." she hissed, breaking their gaze again. His mouth opened, ready to speak, but he was interrupted by the slight hiss of static from Enya's radio. Quickly, she sat up, listening.

"Enya, get to the briefing room. If you find Roach, bring him along. He isn't answering his radio." Enya giggled, switching on the microphone.

"Copy that, sir." she replied, rising from the couch. Roach also stood, handing her the journal. She crammed the small notebook into the pocket of her black sweatpants.

"How come you didn't have your radio?" she asked as they walked through the narrow hallways of the submarine.

"I didn't want to be interrupted, when I went looking for you." he said, sheepishly. The first smile in hours appeared on her face, as they neared the briefing room. Enya blinked as she entered the room, adjusting to the darkness that the 141 seemed to prefer in their briefing rooms. General Shepherd, Captain Mactavish, Ghost, Worm, and a few other soldiers stood around the small room. All of them seemed to be looking at a screen, which was showing a satellite image of their current position. Shepherd looked up at the two new people in the crowd, then began pressing keys on a computer. The picture shifted, moving deeper into the Pacific Ocean.

"Seems we're headed the wrong direction." said Mactavish. "Shouldn't we be heading back to the fight?"

"Plenty of fight to go around. You'll be working with Sixth Fleet, leading the counterstrike." replied Shepherd, in a slightly chastising tone. "Prisoner 672. That's who we believe Makarov's got the mad-on for. But we can't get to him." he explained. The image changed, displaying the schematics of an oilrig.

"Oilrigs, sir?" questioned Mactavish.

"The Russians are using them as SAM sites. The oil workers are human shields so we can't just blow up the rigs wholesale. And this one is the least defended." he stopped, grimacing slightly. "Boys, I know I'm sending you into the meat grinder in this one."

"They're defending it, so we want it. Especially if it gets us to 627." cut in Mactavish. Shepherd nodded, and the screen went black.

"We're rendezvousing with the U.S.S. Dallas." said Shepherd. "The Navy Seals will be assisting you with this mission. I want Mactavish, Roach, Ghost, Rocket, Zach, Robot, Peasant, and Enya on this one." The group nodded, and left the room. Shepherd followed, leaving Mactavish and Enya still in the room. She looked towards the computer, an idea forming in her mind.

"Captain? May I use the computer for a second?" she asked.

"What do you need it for?" he inquired, curious.

"I need to look something up." she explained. "Something that Rojas said." He nodded, and she sat down in front of the computer. Her fingers danced along the keyboard as she found a directory.

_Nina...nina...where...ah! I've found it!_

A list of meanings for the word appeared on the screen. She scrolled down, reading through each one.

_Hmmm, Hebrew for "granddaughter", Russian for "favour, grace", Spanish for "little girl"._

_Little girl?_

Her words from earlier came back to her. "_I feel like a child." Needing the warmth and comfort, like a child. Like a nina._

_Hang on, there is one more here. Native America Quechua for "fire". Interesting._

"What are you looking at?" asked Mactavish, startling her slightly.

"Rojas called me this." she explained. "I wanted to know what it means." He looked down, eyes scanning the screen.

"It suits you." he said. "I don't know about the granddaughter part, but you are young. A little girl, in the eyes of some. It's right for you." Enya grinned, stepping away from the computer. Nodding her head towards Mactavish, Enya left the room. Roach was waiting for her outside of the door.

"What was that about?" he asked. Enya stopped, looking at Roach. His clothes from before had been replaced with a tight black wetsuit, covered with small pockets. His goggles were back in place, but his short, deep brown hair was left uncovered.

"Enya?" he asked, looking at her with a hesitant concern.

"Don't call me that." she whispered. "Roach, call me Nina."

**Another A/N**: And there you go, she's got herself a callsign now! Truth be told, I've had this planned for a while. It just took me forever to come up with a callsign that would work with the plot, definitions, languages, and characters.

Review, please?


	12. Apparatus

**A**/**N**: Another caffeine-fuelled chapter.

This one is "The Only Easy Day...Was Yesterday". I haven't made any significant plot changes, making this chapter very similar to the level.

Enya will still be called Enya from the narrating point of view, but will be called Nina by pretty much everyone else.

Special thanks to **Arhani 'Hanni' Daforcena**,** spreethis**,** Mercs2Girl**,** Scented of Roses**,** Reeserella**,** DarkMGN**, and **trevtrev04 **for their reviews.

I'M SORRY THIS WAS SUCH A SLOW UPDATE!

Enjoy the chapter!

Fire: Chapter Twelve

Apparatus:

_I'm just going to cling to this SDV thing, swim up to the surface, and invade an enemy oilrig that I know next-to-nothing about. Just another day in the 141, right?_

Dark, frigid water poured into the SDV hangar, causing Enya's legs to float away. Fingers clasped firmly on the handle, Enya pulled herself back down, preparing for launch. The quiet murmur of the Navy SEALs carried through her radio, signalling the beginning of the mission.

"U.S.S. Chicago actual to drydock shelter, we have a go."

"SDV hangar flooded, full pressure."

"Begin deployment."

The water rushed around her as the SDV moved forward, launching out of the hangar. Fish swam out of the way, disappearing into the darkness of the ocean.

"Team One SDV is away."

"Hotel Six, bearing zero one-niner."

A rumbling sound pierced the silence, and the U.S.S. Dallas came into view.

"U.S.S. deploying Team Two. RV at the objective."

Another SDV appeared at Enya's right. The two drivers of the SDVs came into visual range and began a series of signals. As they finished, the oil rig came into sight, pipes and metal beams cutting into the still waters.

"Hotel Six, depth 20 metres."

"Team Two, at the objective."

At the signal from the driver, Enya pushed away from the SDV, and began her swim to the surface. More fish swam around, looping through the metal structure before them. Soon, Team One reached the surface, barely making a ripple as they peeked out from below the surface. Enya caught sight of two Russians conversing on the platform above, oblivious to their presence. A small ripple appeared next to Enya, followed by Roach, slowly surfacing beside her. She made to smile at him, but stopped, remembering the oxygen mask that covered her face. Roach began swimming, moving towards a hole in the floor of the platform.

"In position, on your go." muttered Mactavish. Without warning, Roach reached up, plucking one of the men from the platform. Pulling him underwater, Roach reached for his knife. A quick slash across the neck finished the man, and he was pushed away, sinking into the ocean. Roach nodded to her, then was pulled out of the water by two 141 soldiers. Enya swam to the opening, allowing the two paint-streaked faces to pull her up. After getting her balance, Enya tugged the oxygen tank from her back, smiling as she breathed in the crisp, cold Russian air. Once free of the SCUBA gear, a soldier passed her a silenced M4A1 and a SCAR-H with a thermal sight. Slinging the SCAR onto her back, and readying the M4A1, Enya started up the stairs, following Mactavish and Ghost.

"Two hostiles down in section one-alpha. Moving up to section two." explained Mactavish. "Keep it tight, people."

As they rounded a corner, a single soldier came into sight.

"Got a visual by the railing." whispered Enya.

"Free to engage, Nina. Suppressed weapons only." ordered Mactavish. Grinning at her new name, Enya shot a single bullet into the man's chest, sending him falling over the railing.

"We're clear." she said, walking towards one of the two white doors.

"Civilian hostages at your position. Watch your fire." blared the radio.

"Roger that. Team One moving to breach." said Mactavish, looking back at Roach.

Roach pushed a square breaching charge onto one of the doors, smiling slightly as the door splintered. Once inside, he made short work of the guards, clearing the room.

"Clear." he said, a touch of pride in his voice.

A couple of soldiers rushed forward, pulling the hostages into sitting positions.

"We're clear. Hostages secured in section two-echo." said Mactavish.

"Roger that, Hotel Six, Team 2 will secure and evac, continue your search topside." ordered the commander.

"Ok, moving upstairs. Control, we're advancing to Deck Two." explained Mactavish. "Eyes open, watch your sectors."

The team made its way up the next stairway, arriving on an open deck. A low humming reached their ears.

"Enemy helo patrolling the perimeter. Keep a low profile, Hotel Six." said the commander.

Enya ducked back instinctively, shrinking into the shadows. The humming faded, and the helicopter disappeared. Ghost looked back at her, motioning for her to keep moving. _Always the motivator._

A wide, cluttered platform met her eyes, the sounds of Russian voices carrying over from another sealed room.

"Hotel Six, more hostages at your position."

"Copy that." said Mactavish, readying a breaching charge. Roach looked back at Enya, passing her another breaching charge.

"Your turn." he whispered, grinning. Enya rolled her eyes, planting the charge on the door. As it exploded, the world froze around her, silent and slow. Several enemies were visible, kicking the hostages down, preparing to shoot them. Enya raised her M4A1, killing every Russian on her side of the room. Ghost echoed her movements in the other doorway, leaving another cleared room.

"Clear." called Ghost.

"Clear. Control, all deck two hostages secured." said Mactavish. Enya relaxed, breathing a small sigh of relief. Her body tensed again as rapid, garbled Russian sounded over the oilrig speakers.

"Enemy radio." said Ghost, looking back out the door. "I think we're going to have company."

_Crap._

"Alright, let's set up for Plan B. Get some C4 on those bodies, go!" ordered Mactavish. Enya stepped out of the room, letting Roach take care of the C4.

"C4 placed." said Roach.

"Get into an elevated position. We'll ambush them when they discover the bodies." explained Mactavish. A ladder leaning against some scaffolding caught her attention. She climbed up, grinning as she noticed a Dragunov lying on the scaffolding. She picked up the weapon, ready to cover her team. The others left the building, taking cover around her.

More Russian chatter, followed by a large patrol, entered the area.

"There's the patrol. Hold your fire until they're closer." muttered Mactavish. Enya peeked down, seeing the detonator clutched in Roach's fist.

"Standby...standby..."

A man entered the room, shouting as he discovered the dead.

"Plan B. Do it." said Mactavish. Roach nodded, and squeezed the detonator.

The world slowed down again as a large fireball swallowed the room, killing everyone inside. The survivors jumped back, shouting out Russian curses and firing at the team. Enya brought the scope to her eye, killing the men who had taken cover.

"Control, this is Hotel Six. Our cover's blown!" shouted Mactavish, ducking behind a crate.

"Copy that, intel still indicates hostages and possible explosives on the top deck. Your team needs to secure that location before we can send in reinforcements to handle the SAM sites, over."

Enya worked as fast as she could to clear the way for her team. A lone man ran out from behind cover, and opened fire on Mactavish. She quickly shot at him, killing him before her could reach Mactavish. He looked up at her, nodding his thanks.

"Cent-Com needs us to take the top deck ASAP so they can send in the Marines. Move." called Mactavish. He looked back at Enya, who was still on the scaffolding.

"Nina, we need to get moving." he said. Enya slipped back down the ladder, jogging over to her team.

"Nina?" questioned Ghost, looking at her as they ran up a flight of metal stairs.

"I'll explain later." she said, firing into a small group of enemies. Before he could reply, a bright white light covered the team, sending a wave of panic throughout her body.

"Attack heli, 12 o'clock, find some cover!" yelled Ghost. Enya dove behind a bunch of barrels, praying that it wouldn't find her. A few seconds passed before the light shifted, and Enya dared to look back. She could see Roach, AT4 in hand, waiting for it to stop firing. As soon as the Little Bird stopped, he dove around the corner, and fired.

The missile struck the helicopter, sending it spinning into the water below them, nothing but a flaming wreck.

"Nice shot, Roach!" she called, shooting at a couple of men in front of her.

"The clock's ticking, we need to get topside and secure any remaining hostages before we call in the Marines." ordered Mactavish.

"Little busy right now. Come back later." she muttered, dodging a man with a Striker and quickly putting a bullet into his skull. Roach laughed, and she realized that her comment had carried through the radio. Blushing, she jogged ahead, jumping over the barrels in her path. A man dove out from behind a barrel, startling her. Before she could react, the Russian fell to the ground, blood spurting from several holes in his chest. She whipped around, cursing in surprise. Roach stood there, a smirk creasing his face.

"We even yet?" he asked, looking down at the corpse.

"Not yet." she laughed, killing another man as he stepped through the door.

"Let's go! Those hostages aren't going to rescue themselves!" barked Mactavish, disappearing around a corner. Enya looked back at Roach, giggling slightly.

"I don't know who I'm more afraid of, Mactavish or the Russians." she whispered, careful to avoid transmitting her words this time. Roach laughed, motioning to the stairs.

"Ladies first." he said in an undertone. She aimed a punch at his arm, turning to follow Mactavish.

"Split up!" called Mactavish. "We can flank through these hallways."

"Enya, go with Ghost." said Roach, turning away and running after Mactavish.

"Nina..." she murmured, looking around for Ghost. A few seconds later, she spotted him, engaged in hand-to-hand combat with one of the Russians. Their weapons had been discarded, and as Enya watched, Ghost forced the man onto the ground, reaching into a pouch on his wetsuit. A quick movement of his wrist, and the man was dead, blood dripping from a small hole in his temple.

"Bastard snuck around me." explained Ghost. He shrugged, stuffing a pistol back into the pouch, and picked up his ACR. Her mouth dropped open in surprise, and Ghost chuckled lightly. A sudden scream of Russian jolted her out of her stupor, and she immediately shot towards the source. The voice did not stop, and Enya groaned. Peeking carefully around the corner revealed multiple hostiles to her. Grinning slightly, Enya armed a frag grenade, tossing it around the corner. A loud explosion sounded out, followed by several shouts of pain. Nodding to Ghost, she slipped around the corner, killing anyone that got into her way. Just as she let her grip loosen on the gun, Mactavish and Roach came out of a doorway. Her fingers flew towards the trigger again, and she cursed as she realized who it was.

"Oi, watch it." said Mactavish. She flinched, bringing the weapon back to her hip.

"Come on, those hostages aren't going to rescue themselves." sighed Mactavish, starting up another metal staircase.

"No duh." whispered Roach, slipping behind her. She laughed, following Mactavish up the stairs.

_Just another deck, filled with hostile Russians. Clear it out, blow up a door. Big deal. _The tell-tale hiss of a smoke grenade sounded out, startling the team. _Shit. A big deal._

"Smokescreen." said Ghost, his voice perfectly emotionless.

"Be advised, these guys are a step up. They're using thermal optics to see through the smoke." said Mactavish, crouching behind a bunch of barrels. Enya cursed, reaching for her SCAR-H. The thermal sight was annoying, in her mind, but effective against the men hidden within the smoke. Several men started firing machine guns from a windowed building on the other side of the deck.

"Cover me!" she called, running forward, and crouching behind a pile of metal girders. Aiming through the thermal sight, Enya killed the men in the windows. Absorbed in her task, Enya ignored her surroundings, and a shotgun-wielding man who was creeping closer.

**THUD.**

The man fired a Striker, sending little pellets spraying everywhere. Enya whipped around, screaming as a pellet scraped through the skin on her right shoulder. Roach was by her side instantly, killing the Russian before he could fire a fatal shot. Roach leaned over, pulling her up as he dragged her back to the stairs.

"I'm fine, really." she muttered as Roach probed her shoulder. "It's just a scrape. I'll live." Roach sighed, handing her a random F2000 with thermal.

"Nina, you ok?" asked Ghost, his words thick with static and gunshots. Enya groaned.

"I'm fine." she hissed, gripping the F2000 tight in her hands, and plunging back into the smoke. The Russians swarmed around her, and she quickly took aim, killing them before they could find her. She slipped underneath the windows, hidden from the machine guns above her.

"Hotel Six, be advised, hostages have been confirmed at your location along with possible explosives, over."

Her shoulder twinged as she made a sharp turn through a door. The room was empty, save for the smoke.

"Copy that. All teams, check your fire. We don't know what's behind these doors." said Mactavish.

Bringing the scope to her eye again, Enya spotted several enemies creeping through the smoke. Taking careful aim, Enya cleared the centre of the deck. Smiling slightly, she crouched near one of the doors, taking the time to examine her shoulder.

Blood dripped from the wound, revealing a shining red tear in her wetsuit. The wound didn't seem too deep, so she stood up again, getting ready to breach the room.

"Nina, Roach, get a frame charge on the doors. We'll breach the room from both sides." ordered Mactavish. Both nodded, readying the charges. A quick slap against the door, and the world fell into a dangerous, C4-infested stupor. Enya winced, taking careful aim, and shooting one man away from a hostage. A sudden shout cut through the silence, and Enya froze. A Russian was running to Roach, knife in hand. She could only watch as he got closer to Roach.

"Roach!" she screamed. Roach looked over, seeing the Russian, and immediately fired several rounds into his ribs.

"Clear!" he shouted. Enya gasped as the world spun back into normality, and the last of the hostages were rounded up.

"Room clear. Control, all hostages have been secured. I repeat, all hostages secured. Proceeding to LZ Bravo." informed Mactavish. Enya smiled again as they left the room.

"Good job, Hotel Six. Marine reinforcements are inserting now to dismantle the SAM sites. Get your team ready for phase two of the operation. Out."

Several Little Birds landed on a platform nearby, ready to take them to the next part of the mission. Enya frowned, trying to remember the mission details. _Clear out SAM sites so we can get to the Gulag, and get that prisoner, right? _Before she could take her seat on the Little Bird, a hand grabbed her good shoulder, stopping her. She turned around, finding herself staring into the red-tinted glasses of Ghost.

"Let me see your shoulder, Nina." he muttered, dead seriousness filling his voice. Enya sighed, leaning her wounded shoulder towards him. Ghost pulled her into a sitting position, kneeling above her as he reached for his knife. Enya winced as he cut away some of the fabric, trying to expose the cut.

"Good, an exit wound." he murmured, reaching back into the pouches on his wetsuit. A sudden pain spread through her shoulder, and Enya gasped. Ghost stood up, a syringe clenched between two fingers. Enya glared, looking suspiciously at the needle mark.

"It's just a painkiller." he reassured her, motioning for her to get onto the Little Bird. She climbed up next to Roach, trying to ignore his confused look.

"What was that all about?" he asked. Enya shrugged, wincing as the movement tugged the skin around the cut.

"Nina, are you sure you're alright?" he asked. Enya hissed slightly, and Roach nodded, reaching into the Little Bird.

"Here." he said, passing her a white M14 EBR. "You're a better sniper than me. You should have it." Enya grinned, looking over the white camouflage adorning the rifle. Before she could think, she reached forward, gently clasping Roach's hand. Roach blinked in surprise, his fingers lacing with hers. The helicopter rose, and took off across the ocean, speeding towards the Gulag, and the prisoner they had fought to release. A thought entered Enya's mind, and she fought back a sigh, brow curling in concentration.

_Is it wrong that I've lost count of how many died today?_

**Another A/N**: Holy Crap, I'm sorry this took me so long! I'll do better next time!


	13. Penitentiary

**A**/**N**: Oh my God, I am so sorry for another huge wait. I need to learn to get my arse in gear and write, damn it. Anyway, this chapter is "The Gulag", again, with no major plot changes. To save you a Google, "penitentiary" is another word for "prison". Special thanks to **trevtrev04**, **Arhani 'Hanny' Daforcena**, **Reeserella**, **Mercs2Girl**, **ghostmactavish, SilentObserver01, **and **kittio123** for their reviews. A shout-out to **SilentObserver01** for explaining the ACS to me. Enjoy the chapter!

Fire: Chapter Thirteen

Penitentiary:

_Wind._

The icy whistling of the wind pierced through the whirring of the helicopter blades, swirling Enya's dark brown hair into a tangled curtain. Enya hissed in annoyance. After sitting still for over an hour, Enya found herself in a highly irritable state, something Roach had not caught on to yet. He laughed and reached out, pushing the hair off of her face. Enya sighed, and her clenched teeth loosened slightly.

"Thirty seconds." whispered Mactavish. Enya fought back a smile as she heard his voice; his accent strong through the static. Next to her, Roach reached down and grabbed her hand.

"Let's do this." he whispered into her ear. Below them, two steel-grey F-15s hovered, ready to clear the way for the assault. As they approached a SAM site, the radio came to life again.

"Hornet Two-One, this is Jester One-One, flight of two F-15s, four HARMs for the section. Standby for SEAD, over."

"Solid copy, Jester One-One. Go get 'em."

"Good tone, good tone. Fox Three, Fox Three."

The two F-15s zoomed forward, ready to lay waste to the SAMs. As the missiles launched, Roach's grip tightened. The missiles struck the SAMs, filling the air with a choking black smoke.

"Good kill, good kill. Hornet Two-One, you're clear all the way. Good luck."

"Hornet Two-One copies."

"Two-Two copies all."

"Two-Three, solid copy."

Enya slammed her eyes and mouth shut, trying to to breathe as they flew through the smoke. It wasn't long before the gulag came into view. Enya gasped as she beheld the building; a large, castle-like prison. She could see over a hundred Russians running around the complex, frantically trying to ready themselves for the sudden attack.

"Two going in hot."

"Roger."

"Guns guns guns. Guns guns guns."

The Little Bird spun its machine guns, firing into a glass tower. Shards of glass fell onto the men below, and the tower was bathed in flames.

"Two-Two, Two-One, good effect on target."

"All snipers, this is Mactavish. Prepare to engage." ordered Mactavish. Enya grinned as she let go of Roach, reaching for her sniper rifle.

"Roger." she murmured, loading her rifle. _Finally! _The Little Bird hovered near one of the towers, and Enya caught sight of several Russians.

"All snipers, clear to engage." replied Mactavish. Enya smiled again, looking through the scope. Wincing slightly as the movement tugged her cut shoulder, Enya pulled the trigger, carefully clearing the tower.

"Clear, sir!" she called.

"Copy that." said Mactavish. "Shift right."

"Shifting" replied the pilot. The helicopter turned away from the tower, and moved several metres along the wall. Spotting Russians on the next tower, the helicopter stopped, hovering.

"Stabilize." said Roach. "I see six hostiles on this tower."

"Engaging!" cried Enya, aiming at the tower. A quick squeeze of the trigger cleared the tower.

"Crap, re-loading." she muttered, jamming a new clip into the rifle. After re-loading, Enya looked back at the tower. Two Russians came out from behind a SAM, pulling a bright blue tarp off of it. Without thinking, Enya raised her rifle again, killing the men before they could fire on her team.

"Nice work, Nina!" said Roach. "Captain, we're clear here!"

"Copy, shift right." he said. Once again, the chopper moved along the wall, ready to clear the next tower. A third tower came into sight.

"I see four hostiles on the next tower!" called Mactavish. Enya readied her weapon again. Before she could open fire, an F-15 swooped in front of their chopper, firing on the tower. A shrill beeping filled the air as the chopper wobbled.

"Hang on!" shouted the pilot. Enya clung to the bench, biting back a scream as the pilot fought to regain control of the helicopter. Soon, he was able to right the chopper, and they continued over the wall.

"Shepherd! Get those fighters to cease fire immediately, that was too close!" shouted Mactavish.

"I'll try to buy you some time. One man in a gulag doesn't mean much to the Navy at this point." Shepherd replied. Beside her, Roach clenched his fists in frustration.

"Bloody Yanks! I thought they were the good guys!" said Ghost. Enya looked up from her rifle, laughing at Ghost's comment.

"Ghost, cut the chatter. Stay frosty." ordered Mactavish, as the chopper touched down on a landing pad. Roach reached back into the Little Bird, grabbing two M4A1 Carbines. He smiled as he tossed one to Enya.

"Come on, let's kick some ass." he said. Nodding, Enya slung her M14 EBR onto her back, and readied her M4A1.

"Go, go!" hollered Mactavish. Enya crouched, aiming for a second floor balcony. The Russians, sensing her attack, dove behind the low concrete walls.

"Use the M203!" shouted Ghost. Enya grinned as she loaded the grenade. Aiming carefully, she fired a grenade onto the balcony. It hit the wall behind the concrete barriers, sending the bodies flying forward.

We're clear!" she called, switching the gun back.

"Copy that, move up!" ordered Mactavish. The team started towards the entrance again, but had to stop as a second-floor balcony, surrounded by sandbags, opened fire on them.

"Two-One in position for gun-run." called the pilot of their Little Bird.

"Copy Two-One, lasing targets on the second floor!" replied Mactavish. He dove out from cover, aiming a laser at the balcony. Almost instantly, the chopper appeared, spinning its guns.

"I got a tally on six tangos." said the pilot. Guns ready, the chopper opened fire on the balcony, shredding the sandbags to pieces.

"You're clear!" he called. After firing a few more rounds for good measure, the chopper waved off, leaving the team to clear the way to the entrance.

Russians, hiding behind cover, jumped out and stalled the team again. Simultaneously, the 141 raised their weapons, and cleared the way to the entrance.

"The entrance is up ahead, keep moving!" called Mactavish. As they rounded a corner, two hostiles made a break for a flight of stairs. Before they could get far, Roach shot them down.

"This is it! We go in, grab Prisoner 627, and get out! Check your corners, let's go!" shouted Mactavish.

With the way clear, the 141 entered the dark tunnel, beginning their descent into the underground prison.

"There's the control room! I can use it to find the prisoner!" called Ghost. The narrow, dark hallway was crowded by the hostile Russians, and the 141 fought to clear a path to the control room. Enya smiled slightly as she loaded another grenade into her M203. A single shot cleared most of the men out, leaving Jayhawk, Redcell, and Worm a clear shot at the rest. With the hallway clear, Ghost sprinted forward, taking a seat at a beat-up looking computer. The others entered the room, carefully checking to make sure no more Russians lurked behind the monitor-covered walls.

"I'll tap into their system and look for the prisoner! It's gonna take some time." he said, barely looking up as his fingers flew over the keyboard.

"Copy that. Roach, we're on cell duty. Ares, Worm, Jayhawk, you're with me. Redcell, Druid, Nina, you stay here and cover Ghost." ordered Mactavish. He turned away, with Roach and the others following him closely down a set of metal stairs.

"I'll cover the stairs. Nina, cover the left side. Redcell, you take the right." said Druid.

"Copy that." replied Enya, loading her M14 EBR. On impulse, Enya reached down to her belt, smiling as her fingers clasped a claymore.

"Be right back!" she called, running back to the hallway entrance. After searching the hallway, Enya pushed the claymore into the ground. Satisfied, she jogged back to her side, poking the barrel of her rifle through the barred wall.

"Alright, I'm patched it!" said Ghost. "I'm tracking your progress on the security cameras."

"Copy that! Do you have the location of Prisoner 627?" asked Mactavish.

"Negative." replied Ghost. "But I've got a searchlight tracking hostiles on your floor. That should make your job easier."

"Roger that! Stay sharp, the prisoner may be in one of these cells." shouted Mactavish.

Back into the control room, the snipers were clearing the way. The searchlight followed a man closely, and one of the snipers would pick him off before he could do any harm. This continued for a few minutes, with nary a single word between them.

"Ghost, we've hit a security door. Get it open!" ordered Mactavish, breaking the gunshot-filled silence.

"Workin' on it, this hardware is ancient!" called Ghost.

Through the chaos, Enya could hear the tempo of Ghost's typing increase as he tried to open the door.

A buzz, followed by a metallic clang filled the air.

"Ghost, you've opened the wrong door!" said Roach. Enya stifled a laugh as Ghost sighed, trying again to open the right door.

"Standby...got it!" he muttered, as the correct door clanked open.

"That's better, let's go." said Mactavish, his voice holding a hint of sarcasm.

For several more minutes, the same pattern continued. Following the light, the snipers were able to keep the rest of the team from the majority of enemy fire.

"Talk to me Ghost, these cells are deserted!" said Mactavish, pausing before another security door.

"Got it!" replied Ghost, as the door buzzed and opened. "Prisoner 627's been transferred to the east wing. Head through the armoury in the middle, that's the fastest way there."

"Roger that! Squad, head for that armoury down there! Move!" Mactavish shouted.

Silence.

_Crap, I can't see them anymore!_

"Ghost, we can't see them back here!" she said. "Where the hell did they go?" Before he could answer, a red light lit up the computer.

"Bad news, mate. I'm tracking three, no, four hostile squads converging on your position!" he said, a trace of panic filling his throaty accent.

_Oh, crap!_

The shouts of the Russian men cut through the silence.

"Ghost, open the door!" yelled Mactavish, his voice barely audible over the shouting and gunfire.

"Bloody hell, they've locked it from the hardline. I'll have to run a bypass." said Ghost.

"Too late, they're already here!" said Mactavish. Then, as suddenly as it began, the silence was shattered, flooded with the sounds of shattering glass and roaring machine guns.

"Targets! I can see them, I can see them!" screamed Redcell. A Russian squad came into view, pouring down from the upper levels.

"Take them out!" ordered Druid. Eyes moved to scopes, and fingers to triggers, and three of the 20-strong squad fell. The Russian squad caught sight of the snipers, and opened fire on the control room.

"Mactavish, be advised, you've got more tangos heading your way!" shouted Ghost.

"Crap, take cover!" screamed Enya, diving behind a desk. Druid made to join her, but was stopped by a bullet piercing his chest.

"I'm hit!" he gasped, falling to the floor. Enya screamed again, reaching out to his body, searching for a pulse. A single tear fell from her eye when she found none.

"Open the door!" shouted Mactavish, raw panic taking over his voice.

"Almost there, routing through the auxiliary circuit!" replied Ghost. A faint gasp of relief left him as the door ground open.

"Ghost, Druid's gone." she said, snatching up her rifle. Aiming again, she and Redcell were able to kill most of the squad. As Enya lined up a final shot, a white-hot pain burst through her right leg. She gasped in pain as she pulled the trigger, killing the last man.

"Shit, Ghost, I'm hit!" she wheezed, falling back against the desk. Her hands fumbled for the bullethole, instantly soaking in dark red blood. Redcell dropped down next to her, pushing her hands off of the wound.

"Fuck, there's no exit hole." he murmured. "Ghost, we've got to get her out of here!"

"We can't leave until they have the prisoner." stated Enya, her words thick with pain. "I...I can still snipe. Just stay out of my way."

"Enya, no. Take cover, stay put." ordered Ghost.

"No." said Enya.

Crying out from the effort, Enya pulled herself along the floor, moving herself to her former position. Fortunately, the area was clear, due to previous sniping efforts. Ghost sighed, and looked back at the computer.

"Ghost here. Recommend you bypass the lower floors by rappelling out that window." he said, his fingers slowing their storm over the keys.

"Copy that. Roach, follow me." ordered Mactavish.

"Captain Mactavish, last floor clear. We'll regroup at the bottom." said Ares.

"Bollocks!" cursed Ghost. Enya looked up at him in surprise.

"The camera feed in solitary confinement is dead. The power must be down in that section." he explained over the radio, getting up from the computer.

"Roger that. Squad, switch to night vision." ordered Mactavish. Ghost knelt beside Enya, looking at the wound.

"Mactavish, Nina's hit, and she can't move on her own." he said.

"Copy that." sighed Mactavish. "Do what you can for her, there's no time for evac." Before Ghost could reach his medkit, a massive explosion rocked the building.

"What the fuck?" she screeched, reaching for the bars to keep her steady.

"Shepherd, what the hell was that? Get the Navy to cease fire!" shouted Mactavish.

"The Navy isn't in a talking mood right now. Standby." replied Shepherd.

"The hell is wrong with his?" muttered Ghost.

"Bravo Six - they've agreed to stop firing for now. Keep going, I'll keep you posted. Out." said Shepherd. Ghost groaned, getting back up and moving towards the computer.

"The old shower room's about thirty feet ahead on your left. You'll have to breach the wall to get it." said Ghost.

"Copy that." muttered Mactavish. As soon as they breached the room, Ghost went back to Enya. He produced a roll of gauze and and a syringe.

"Another painkiller." he explained, jabbing the needle into her skin. Enya winced as he pushed the drugs into her system. Pulling the needle out, Ghost unrolled the gauze, carefully wrapping it around her blood-soaked leg.

"This is all I can do for you now." he explained. "Hang in there, we'll get out of here soon." Enya smiled as the drugs began to work, slowly stripping the pain from her body.

"Ghost, we're in the old tunnel system heading south-southwest." said Mactavish. Ghost cursed again and jumped back to the computer.

"Okay, keep going along that tunnel." he replied.

"Talk to me Ghost, I don't want to be down here when those ships start firing again." said Mactavish.

"Keep going, you're almost there!" he said.

"Nina, how are you doing?" asked Roach.

"Oh, just peachy." she murmured.

"I'm detecting two heat signatures!" said Ghost, cutting off Roach's reply. "One of them should be Prisoner 627."

The sound of whirring helicopter blades filled the air.

"Mactavish, our evac's here." said Ghost. "Good luck down there. Ghost out." He stood, slamming the monitor shut.

"Redcell, help me get Nina out of here!" he ordered, moving to one side of her. Enya slung her weapons onto her back, groaning as the two men lifted her up. They threw her arms over their shoulders, and moved towards the door.

"What about Druid?" she asked. A sigh escaped her when Ghost shook his head.

"Don't put any weight on your leg." advised Redcell, as the made their slow escape. Another explosion rocked the building, sending them crashing down. Enya screamed as they hit the ground.

"They've started the bombing run!" she whispered, as Ghost and Redcell picked her up again.

"Bravo Six, be advised, they've started the bombardment early. Get the hell outta there now!" shouted the pilot.

Moving as fast as the could, they exited the gulag, and climbed aboard the waiting Pave Low.

"A wall collapsed and blocked the rest of the team from making their escape. We're going to fly over after them. Get the SPIE rig ready!" called the pilot.

_Collapsed? Oh shit, Roach!_

"Roach, can you hear me?" she screeched into the radio. Her eyes grew round with fear when she received no reply.

"Six-Four, where the hell are you?" shouted Mactavish.

"Bravo Six, there's too much smoke, I can't see you, I can't..." replied the pilot. Another crash shook the building, and send rubble spilling from the walls.

"Roach is down! Roach!" yelled Mactavish. Enya gasped, feeling her whole body tighten up in fear. Seconds of silence ticked by, and then a bright red light spilled from the ruins.

"Bravo Six, I see your flare. SPIE rig on the way." said the pilot. The SPIE rig dropped from the Pave Low. Several seconds later, it was reeled back up, and the filthy, soot-stained members of the 141 climbed into the Pave Low.

**Another A**/**N**: Not my best chapter ending, but this was turning into a ramble, and it's three in the morning, so don't expect perfection.

Yes, I researched SPIE rigs.

Review, please?


	14. Scarred

**A**/**N**: Sorry for yet another long wait.

More of a "filler" chapter than anything else. For those who have commented on my "action" scenes, I'm sorry! I'll try! Also, I don't pretend to have any medical knowledge, and I'm pretty sure this isn't too accurate. Sorry.

Special thanks to **Masquerade Doll, trevtrev04, Mercs2Girl, Reeserella, SilentObserver01, spreethis, snowstormcat, Arhani 'Hanny' Daforcena, WHS72, x-Roach-x, **and **DragonGamer0713 **for their reviews.

Fire: Chapter 14

Scarred:

_Dark._

As the rest of the team climbed into the helicopter, the world smudged out, save for the screams of explosions and dying men, and the ever-present pain. Voices thundered above her head, some familiar, and others unknown. A ghostly figure rushed to her side, his hands gently probing the wounded inside of her thigh leg. A needle pierced her arm, and then there was nothing.

An anxious voice cut through the nothing.

"Enya, Enya! Are you there? Can you hear me?"

_Piss off, voice._

"Damn it, Enya, wake up!"

_Ugh, fine, if you insist._

Fighting back a strangled curse, Enya slowly opened her eyes, wincing as she realized how bright the room was. Groaning, she slammed her eyes shut again.

"Nope, don't you dare. Open your eyes. Now."

_Fuck you._

Another groan escaped her lips as she forced her eyelids open. A shadowy face blocked the brightness, and she felt herself smile slightly in relief. Footsteps announced the arrival of another person, although she couldn't tell who it was yet.

"Roach? Is that you?" she asked, trying to sit up. The figure above her moved away, and she winced again, forcing herself into a sitting position.

"Enya, you shouldn't be sitting up yet." Roach scolded, his face finally coming into view. A huge smile stretched across his face, in perfect contrast to his chiding tone. Enya grinned back, pulling at the sheets that hid her legs.

"What happened? Where are we?" she asked, finally catching sight of the bulky bandages that covered her leg. Taking note of her clothing; a black shirt and small black shorts, Enya began a mental search of the room. A quick look around confirmed her suspicions; she was in some kind of hospital. The fluorescent lights illuminated a room filled with surgical implements, IV bags, needles, and a medley of white medication bottles.

"We're at an old SAS training compound, in England. Some place called Credenhill, or something. Price brought us here. He and Mactavish used to be members of the SAS." he explained. Noticing her confused look, he continued.

"Captain Price is Prisoner 627. I don't know all the details, but I do know that he was captured and taken to the Gulag after killing an Ultranationalist leader, I think. Anyway, once we freed him, we wound up trapped in a room, and a bunch of concrete fell and hit me. Then Mactavish pulled a flare out of thin air and managed to signal the chopper, and they dropped a SPIE rig and got us out of there. We all climbed aboard and started tending to our injuries. I rushed over to see you, but by then Ghost had injected you, and you had passed out."

Enya sighed, carefully running her hands over the snow-white bandage.

"How bad is it?" she asked, turning back to Roach.

"The bullet skimmed your gracilis muscle. It was mostly lodged in your skin, pretty close to the muscle. As soon as the chopper touched down, you were rushed into the infirmary. A couple of doctors did a quick surgery, and managed to pull the bullet out." he explained.

"How long have I been out?" she inquired.

"Oh, only about 12 hours." he replied.

Enya nodded, a sudden thought crossing her mind.

"Man, it's going to scar like hell, isn't it?"she muttered, sighing slightly.

"Nah, it won't be that bad. You wanna see a real scar?" said Roach, pulling the left shoulder of his black t-shirt away. A wide, pale scar stretched over his shoulder.

"I got this one in a biking accident. Some asshole hit my bike when I was 13." he said, fixing his shirt.

"That's nothing!" she teased. "Take a look at this one." Enya pulled a section of her dark brown hair up, revealing a crooked scar.

"Got this one from crashing through a sliding door when I was 8. Most of the glass was imbedded in my head." she explained. Roach nodded, looking slightly impressed. He swung his left leg up and rested it on her bed, pulling up the pant leg.

"I was pushed out of a tree by my sister. 15 stitches." he said, looking slightly smug.

"You have a sister?" she asked, raising an eyebrow in surprise.

"Yeah, her name's Taylor. She and I loved to fight each other. I'll bet she's got better scars than you!" he said, his eyes sparkling with laughter.

"Oh yeah? How about this one?" Enya laughed, shifting her shirt away from her stomach. "Appendix removal."

This playful banter continued for several minutes, until a low cough filled the room. They both stopped, eyes widening in surprise as Ghost stepped into the room.

"Are you two children finished in here?" he asked, his arms crossed in a stern manner. "If you're not busy, Roach, Mactavish wants to see you." Roach sighed, fixing his pant legs and jogging from the room. A scrub-clad doctor entered, making to check the bandages. Satisfied that they were still fresh, the doctor smiled and left the room. Nodding at the doctor, Ghost approached her bed.

"So I see that you're awake." he said, staring at the bandages.

"Clearly." she murmured. "How long before I can get out of here?"

"It shouldn't be long. You should be able to walk tomorrow, though it'll be awhile before you're running around on a mission." he explained.

"Great. So I'm trapped here for another day?" she asked, groaning at the thought of being bedridden. "Can't I use crutches or something?" Ghost chuckled, turning away to search the room. A minute later, he produced a pair of crutches from a metal cabinet.

"Go for it, but make it quick. We'll both be dead if the doctors catch us." he said. With a little help, Enya managed to pull herself into a standing position. Gingerly leaning on the padded crutches, she stood, taking a few slow steps around the room.

"It worked!" she said, laughing. "Now get me the hell out of here."

Ghost led her down a hallway and out a large metal door. She blinked as the sunlight hit her eyes, looking around the wide, grassy complex. A series of dark blue metal building caught her eyes. She turned back to Ghost, and was surprised when he started laughing.

"You look like a lost little kid." he said, noting the look on her face. She rolled her eyes, turning to the closest building. After several minutes of struggling, she made it to the door, and discovered a spacious barrack. Several men sat on their beds, some sleeping, others reading and talking. A wide smile crossed her face as she caught sight of Worm, his face buried in a book.

"Worm, you made it!" she called, slowly working her way over to his bed.

"Nina, holy shit! What are you doing out of the infirmary?" he asked, looking up. Enya gasped as she saw the burns that crossed his face and torso.

"What the hell happened to you?" she screeched, sitting down.

"I got caught in the explosion." he said, looking back down at his book. Sensing the end of the conversation, she hauled herself back up and exited the building, Ghost following her closely. Just as she was about to ask Ghost about another building, the amplified voice of Mactavish poured out of his radio.

"Ghost, where are you? Have you seen Nina?" he asked. She fought back a laugh as Ghost raised his mic to his mouth.

"I'm just outside the barracks, and I've got Nina with me." he reported.

"I should have known you had something to do with it. Ugh, just bring her to the CQB hangar. Intact, if you can." sighed Mactavish. She rolled her eyes again as Ghost pointed her to the right building.

Several long, limping minutes later, Ghost and Enya arrived at the building. The heavy door slowly slid open, revealing a large wooden training course that slightly resembled a ship. Gunfire echoed from inside, and she suspected that Roach was running the course. Forgetting all about her injuries, Enya itched to try the course after him.

Before she could limp to the start, Mactavish entered the room from a small office next to a wall of computers. He signalled them over to the computers, and they all watched the camera feed from inside the ship. Laughter rang out as Roach tripped over one of the doorways. A few seconds later, a cursing and dishevelled-looking Roach exited the course, and walked over to the computers.

"Price needs a full psychiatric work-up before he can give us any intel. It'll be a few days. That'll give everyone a chance to recover, and allow us to ship some more of our guys in from other military bases. In the meantime, I want everyone training for every possible combat situation." said Mactavish, switching off the monitors. Everyone nodded their affirmation, and made their way out of the dark metal building.

"Nina. You stay for a second." called Mactavish. Sighing, Enya limped her way back over to the monitors.

"You should not be out of bed yet, we need all our snipers in top shape. I want you resting now, that's an order." he demanded. Sighing again, she began her slow trip back to the infirmary.\

**Another A**/**N**: Yeah, not my best. Heh heh. Cross my heart and hope to die, I'll have the next chapter done **much **sooner!


	15. Comrades

**A**/**N**: Urgh, more Writer's Block. -_-

VERY special thanks to **Mercs2Girl **for reviewing about 15 minutes after chapter 14 was published. You, my friend, made my night. Also, thanks to **Arhani 'Hanny' Daforcena**, **snowstormcat**, **soulangel666**, **wildcat717**, **Yksin**, **Doom Marine 54**, and **NINJ4 CUPC4KE** for their reviews.

Also please please please forgive me for being gone so long! I had technical issues with the site that would keep me from logging in for a couple of months. Still, that's no excuse to stop writing. I'm sorry.

Fire: Chapter Fifteen

Comrades:

Over the next 24 hours, four Pave Lows touched down at the base. To Enya's excitement, one of the helicopters had Archer and his spotter among its passengers. She couldn't stop the wide grin that crossed her face as she limped forward to meet them.

"Enya!" shouted Archer, slinging his duffel bags over his shoulder and rushing down the ramp. Beaming, Enya allowed herself to be pulled into a quick hug by her fellow sniper. His brown eyes widened as he beheld the crutches and heavy white bandages wrapped around her right thigh.

"What in the hell happened to you?" he asked. Enya sighed, glancing down at her bandaged leg.

"I got shot in a Russian gulag." she explained. "I was covering Mactavish and his team, and took a stray bullet to the leg." Archer nodded, then turned to his spotter.

"Toad, bring out the rifle." he ordered. Toad, the spotter, nodded and went back into the Pave Low. A few seconds passed, and he returned, carrying a C3A1 in his arms. He handed the rifle to Archer, who in turn gave it to Enya.

"We were over in Canada, at CFB Gagetown, and I figured I should pick this up for you." he said, smiling. Wide-eyed, she ran her fingertips over the familiar weapon.

"Thank you so much, Archer! As soon as I get rid of these damn crutches, I'll report to the course." she said, slinging the rifle over her shoulder.

"So, how's Canada?" she asked, still smiling.

"Cold." said Toad matter-of-factly. "Very cold." Enya rolled her eyes.

"You must be American, then." she replied, laughing. Before Toad could formulate a comeback, Enya's radio crackled to life.

"Enya, Price's work-up is finished." came Roach's message.

"Well, that's great to hear, Roach." she replied, working to keep the irritation out of her voice. "One problem, though. I'm crippled, remember? No missions for me."

"But Soap asked to see you." said Roach. "He must have something planned for you."

"Wait, who's Soap?" she asked, confused.

"You sound just like Worm, you know." chuckled Roach. "Soap is Mactavish. It's his old SAS nickname. I guess it didn't carry over into the 141. Anyway, he wants you back at the CQB hangar. You can find your way back, right?"

"Very funny, Gary. I could probably navigate this place better than you, on crutches!" she laughed, waving goodbye to Archer and Toad and starting towards the hangar.

Roach met Enya at the door to the hangar, and led her into one of the offices. The room was dark, and full of computers and screens, very similar to the room back at Fire Base Phoenix, where she had first met some of the 141. Mactavish sat in front of the largest computer, typing rapidly into a keyboard resting on his lap. Both he and Captain Price wore mics and headphones.

"Uplink nearly complete. General Shepherd, you're online with Captain Price." said Mactavish, a serious tone taking over his voice.

"Back from the brink, Captain." came Shepherd's rough voice, through a set of speakers plugged into the computer.

"Out of the frying pan is more like it." replied Price, almost sarcastically. "This world looks more like hell than the one I just left."

"We thought we'd recovered the ACS before the Russians could crack it. We were wrong. Then Makarov turned the U.S. into his scapegoat. Next thing you know there's flames everywhere."

_Wait, what?_

Enya turned to Roach, fighting to keep her face blank.

"What the hell did Shepherd just say? What's going on, Roach?" she demanded.

"Well, it's kinda hard to explain..." he mumbled.

"So explain, then!" she whispered, furious. Behind them, bits of the conversation between Price and Shepherd could be heard.

"You've been in the Gulag too long, Price. Focus on taking out Makarov." ordered Shepherd, his gravelly voice slowing.

"So who is this Makarov?" asked Enya, looking back at Roach. When Roach didn't answer, she turned and left the briefing. The sounds of fierce typing nearly covered the clack of the crutches.

"Hmm, looks like we lost our connection." murmured Price, behind her.

She went to the only place that seemed safe to her. The firing range. It was time to test out her C3A1, to hell with the doctor's orders. Wincing as her stitches tugged, Enya knelt and aimed her rifle, almost smiling as she felt the rifle on her shoulder. Targets popped up, and she grinned, shooting each target clean through the chest. After a few rounds, Enya forgot that she was in England. The sound of the rifle and the shattering of the wooden targets brought her back to CFB Gagetown, where she had first picked up the rifle. So lost in her task, she didn't hear the footsteps, nor notice Ghost entering the firing range.

"You really shouldn't have stormed out like that, you know." he said. Enya jumped, squeezing the trigger and sending a bullet flying into the ceiling.

"Jesus, Ghost! A little warning next time?" she shrieked, turning to face him.

"There'd better not be a next time, Nina. You know, if you were in your former regiment and left a room like that, there would be shit to pay. Here, we don't care as much. The rules aren't as strict, but if Mactavish wasn't tied up with that call, you'd be running more laps than you've had birthdays. Am I clear?" asked Ghost, a strictness taking over his voice.

"Yes, sir." she replied, standing up straight. "Anything else, sir?"

"If it wasn't obvious, you aren't part of this mission in Russia. However, you are up for working with the Predator and comms. I'd go back to the CQB hangar if I were you." he said. Enya nodded, saluted, and slipped her rifle onto her shoulder.

"Thanks, Ghost!" she called, hobbling out of the room.

Instead of heading straight back to the hangar, Enya made a trip to the infirmary. Her leg was hurting, after all the sniping, and she was hoping to get some pain pills before reporting to Mactavish. The doctor on duty, a man with the appropriate call-sign of Doc, was not impressed with the crutches. After a quick lecture on not stressing the wound (Enya decided it was best not to mention the sniping), she was cleared for partial duty and handed two Tylenol 3s.

She found Mactavish seated at a different computer, with a cigar in one hand and a steaming cup of coffee in the other. The headphones from before were hanging around his neck, and the keyboard was resting on the table next to him.

"Captain Mactavish?"

He turned, lowering the cup and motioning her over to a nearby computer screen.

"Ghost, Roach, Price, and a small squad are heading to Russia to take out a Russian submarine base. The submarine is capable of firing nuclear missiles. Obviously, this is something we've got to fix." he explained, checking the tracker on the Pave Low that his team was in. "It looks like they've got about an hour until they drop, so we've got some time to kill. Now, how about you explain to me why you walked out of a briefing?"

_Crap._

"I...I was shocked by what General Shepherd was saying about America and Makarov. I know who he is and what he's done, but I've obviously missed something, sir." she said, blushing slightly.

"Well, I guess someone owes you an explanation. We've got time, let me show you what you've missed."

**Another A**/**N**: Well, this (short!) chapter sucks arse, but whatever. I'm working on the next one now, and it should be along soon. Now that it's summer, I have way more free time to write.


	16. Overseer

**A**/**N**: I solemnly swear that I will fight the writer's block and publish more! Really, I will.

Special thanks to my lovely sister **Yksin **for being my unofficial beta and reading through the past few chapters during the writing process. Nothing is published until she approves of it.

Fire: Chapter 16

Overseer:

_Private Enya "Nina" Clarke_

_My travels with the 141 have brought me to Credenhill, England, at an old SAS base. After a successful mission with the Navy SEALS, our group sought out this base for a place to lay low and direct the next ops. Roach, Ghost, Captain Price, and a few others are on their way to a base near Petropavlovsk at the moment. Unfortunately, I took a bullet to the thigh, and couldn't go with them. Truthfully, I am glad to be out of the action for a couple of days. I still haven't gotten used to the bloodshed, and it really makes me wonder how every other soldier is able to adapt to this life._

_I translated "nina". It has many meanings, including "fire", "grace", and "little girl". Captain Mactavish (or Soap, his recently-revealed call-sign) thought it would make an appropriate call-sign, and I agree. That's one goal accomplished. _

_I also discovered what happened while I was in surgery. Makarov, an international terrorist, has successfully invaded America, and the Russian soldiers are ripping it to shreds as I write. It kind of leaves me wondering why the 141 isn't over there fighting. I wonder if my old regiment is in the States right now? I would have been with them, if this "promotion" hadn't come up._

"Soap, this is Ghost. We're above the drop zone now, sir."

Closing her worn, blood-stained journal, Enya turned up the volume on her headphones and focused on the screen in front of her. A satellite view of the target and the base surrounding it was shown on the monitor. Towards the edge of the screen, the Pave Low that carried the team was visible, hovering above the target drop area.

"Copy that, Ghost. Begin the drop." replied Mactavish. The two soldiers watched as the squad dove from the helicopter, plunging to the frozen land below. Several seconds later, the team deployed their parachutes. To Enya's surprise, two of the parachutes drifted farther west than the others, floating off her radar.

"Captain...?"

"It's Price and Roach." he explained, typing rapidly into his computer. "Price, I can barely see Roach's chute on my satellite feed, too much interference. Can you see him, over?"

_Roach?_

"Roger that Soap, I've found Roach. He appears to be intact. We're gonna head northwest to the sub base, over." said Price.

"Copy that." affirmed Soap, checking the radar screen. "The rest of the team landed near Ghost, pretty far to the east."

"Tell them to proceed with the mission, we'll regroup if possible." said Price. "Roach, follow me and stay out of sight."

Enya watched as the two blips on the screen moved closer to the submarine, dodging through trees and keeping a careful eye on the world around them.

For the next few minutes, Price and Roach moved through the forest, exchanging few words and carefully taking out any nearby Russians. They arrived at a bridge, crossing over onto the road leading to the submarine.

Suddenly, the crunching of boots hitting snow was replaced by a mechanical sound, steadily closing on Price's position.

"Soap, our intel was off. The Russians have mobile SAMs." announced Price. His figure on the screen crouched low; Roach followed suit.

"Roger that." replied Soap, the speed of his typing rapidly increasing.

"Have you found us some transport?" asked Price, rising and resuming his course.

"I'm working on it. Out." said Soap.

"I don't like being out in the open like this..." murmured Roach.

"Believe me, I know how that feels." said Enya, smiling slightly. "The treeline is just up ahead, you're almost there."

The radar beeped a harsh, shrill tone, revealing the presence of vehicles. With a crash, two BTRs broke through the brush, guns firing towards Price and Roach.

"Incoming!" shouted Price. The two men took off, sprinting deeper and deeper into the forest. Trees crashed to the ground around them, sending clouds of debris to choke the air. After about a minute, Price came to a stop.

"Slow down. Their vehicles can't follow us this far." he said.

"Captain Price, you aren't alone in the woods. I'm tracking at least half a dozen patrols, sir." explained Enya. The next few minutes were nerve-wracking, and both Soap and Enya sighed in relief when Roach and Price made it to the top of the ridge.

"Here's where I come in, Nina." whispered Soap.

"Soap, what's the status of our air support, over?" asked Price.

"A UAV loaded with AGMs is en route to your position." replied Soap.

"Roger that. This ridge is perfect. Roach, take control of the Predator drone." ordered Price. Roach opened up a small laptop, and within seconds, a missile streaked down to the earth. Soap smirked, then frowned, as he lost the connection to the Predator.

"Bollocks." Price muttered, irritated.

"What just happened?" asked Soap.

"There's a mobile SAM site in the village." explained Price. "It just shot down our Predator. Soap, we need another Predator. Roach, let's go."

They slid down the ridge, coming to a stop just as the rest of the team approached from over a small hill.

"Check your fire, check your fire, friendlies coming in at your twelve!" called Ghost. Immediately, the Russians hiding in the village jumped out, sending a wave of bullets raining onto the team. A rocket could be seen flying across her screen, colliding explosively with the SAM sites.

"Nice work on that SAM site!" said Price.

"Thanks, but we'd better hurry. Those explosions are gonna attract a lot of attention." replied Ghost.

For the next ten minutes, the 141 advanced through the village, mowing down any man who got in their way. Enya watched as they slipped around corners, constantly watching each other's backs. In this way, they cleared through the village without a single casualty.

"Holy shit..." she whispered.

"Soap, we've linked up with Ghost and the rest of the team." reported Price.

_Heh, no shit, Price._

"Roger that. The second Predator is almost in position. Make it count, these things don't grow on trees." said Soap, almost sarcastically. Enya fought back a chuckle.

"There's the submarine! Right below that crane!" said Price. The screen in front of her detailed a BTR, a Hind, several Jeeps and other transports, and too many soldiers to count. Towards the edge of the screen, the submarine was visible, floating on the side of a large dock.

"Roach, soften up their defences with the Predator! Watch for the flashing strobes, that's us." ordered Price. Roach sent a missile crashing into the Hind, which immediately set off alarms in the base.

"Well, that got their attention. The whole base is on alert! You'd better hurry, you've only got a couple minutes before that submarine dives." announced Mactavish.

"We're moving." replied Price.

In less than three minutes, the team had forced their way over to the dock. The image on-screen was full of burning vehicles and RPG fire, and reinforcements continued to flood in from all directions.

"I'm going for the sub!" shouted Price. "Cover me from that guardhouse by the west gate."

"Roger that! Roach, we have to get to that guardhouse by the west gate to cover Price! Follow me!" ordered Ghost.

Price's blip on the screen dashed for the sub, while the other five climbed to the top of the tower.

"Alright, I'm inside the sub. Cover me, I need a few minutes!" ordered Price.

Roach continued to rip the vehicles to shreds with the Predator, allowing the others to keep the Russian soldiers from reaching their position.

"Contact to the north, on the dock, next to the sub!" Enya shouted, noticing the motorboat landing at the end of the dock. She heard Soap curse as the last missile flew to Earth.

"Shite, they found the Predator! I don't have time to set up another." he said, sighing.

Suddenly, the submarine began to move. Narrow doors opened up on each side of the submarine.

"Soap, what's happening?" she asked, fighting to keep panic out of her voice.

"Price, are you there? The silo doors are opening on the sub, I repeat, the silo doors are opening on the sub! Price, come in!" called Ghost, echoing her confusion. "They're opening the silo doors on the sub! Hurry! Price, do you copy? The silo doors are open, I repeat, the silo doors are open!"

"What the bloody hell?" whispered Soap.

A nuclear missile flew out of the sub, flooding the air with smoke as it steadily made its climb towards its unknown target.

Price's radio crackled slightly, before he offered his brief response.

"Good."

_What the fuck?_

"Wait, wait, Price, no!" shouted Ghost. "We have a nuclear missile launch. Missile in the air! Missile in the air! Code Black, Code Black!" Panic edged into his voice as her screen blurred out, the wash of smoke blocking out the visual link. Enya stared in shock at the screen, barely registering the shocked screams and angry questions pouring in on all radio channels.

"Okay, listen up." said Soap, finally finding his voice. "Evac'll be there in ten, I want everyone back here, and I want to know what in the name of hell happened back there!" he shouted.

"It's quite simple." explained Price. "I saved the United States."

**Another A**/**N**: Bloody hell, it's been a while. Not going to lie, I wrote about half of this within 20 minutes of sitting down. It just poured out of my brain, so it probably sucks. Sorry 'bout that.


	17. Addition

**A**/**N**: I don't really have much to say, except for a big thank-you to everyone who is still following my stories. I still grin when I read old reviews, still laugh at how poor the earlier stuff is, and still creep the site a few hundred times a day. Seriously, though. Thank you to everyone, I love you all, and enjoy the next chapter!

Also, I'm thinking about writing a Dark Souls fanfic. Just thought everyone should know that.

Fire: Chapter Seventeen

Divided

"I had to do it, Soap. I just **had **to." said Captain Price. Pretty much every member of the 141 had shown up to hear Price explain his actions. The tiny briefing room, only made to seat 10, was bursting at the seams with the 30-plus pissed off, shocked soldiers who lined the room.

"I'm not sending that missile to crash into the coast. I've programmed it to explode above the States, creating a makeshift EMP. It'll give the Americans the time they need to regroup and push Russia out of their country!" explained Price. Some of the mens' faces softened, but Soap's stayed in its confused, angry glare.

"Why didn't you say anything, Price?" he asked, scowling. "You could have told us. Hell, you may have been able to convince us to help you with this crazy plan. You do know that the American vehicles and equipment will be affected too, right?"

Price nodded, a grim look on his face.

"I did what I had to do, and believe me, Soap, I'm not thrilled about it either."

Soap sighed, nodded, and the two men reached forward to shake hands.

"Never do anything like that again, old man." ordered Soap, grinning. "I think Ghost almost shit his pants when the missile launched!" A well-aimed fist from Ghost lightly hit Soap's shoulder; barely heard over the laughter in the room.

"Okay, now that that's settled, what do we do?" asked Enya, giggling.

"We have to track down Makarov." said Ghost. "He's our next target. Get him, and this shite'll end."

"Shepherd's on his way over here. He's got some intel that we'll be following up on. I'm expecting him within a few hours, so get some rest before he shows up." ordered Mactavish. The men filed out of the room in a crowd, talking and laughing with each other. Enya began her slow, crutch-assisted hobble to the infirmary. She knew there was a mission coming up, and wanted the medical clearance to go on it.

Doc looked up from his paperwork as she walked in.

"Back again, Nina? Need more medication?" he asked.

"Nope. I want to get back to work." she said, smiling slightly.

"Hmm, of course, of course. Climb up onto a bed and I'll check the wound." he replied. Enya clambered onto a bed, her fingers itching at the white bandage beneath her combat pants. Blushing lightly, she removed her pants and allowed Doc to pull the bandage from her leg. The faded, stitched- together skin was healing fast, and Enya had to fight back a cheer when she was cleared for full active duty.

"Just be damn careful! Don't stress it, don't do too much running, and keep it clean!" Doc had warned her as she threw down her crutches and left the infirmary with only a slight limp.

Within a few hours, Shepherd's helicopter landed, bringing the General and a couple of Rangers into the briefing room with Soap, Price, Ghost, and a few other high-ranked men. Enya sat in her bunk, nervously fiddling with the pages of her journal. The worn notebook was almost half-full of reports, questions, observations, doodles, and aimless scribbles. It felt odd, holding an object that contained information about her time with the 141. _Holy shit, things have changed. The fucking world's going to be at war. I've killed, I've been shot, I've done so much, and it's hasn't even been a month. _Enya sighed, looking around the room. The small barrack had six sets of bunkbeds lined up around the room. She'd been offered a tiny barrack to herself, but had refused. Now she sat in the room with a few other soldiers, who were crowded around a deck of cards on the floor.

The barrack door swung open, and Archer stepped into the room.

"Nina, Soap and Price want to see you. They're in the briefing room." he said, hovering by the doorframe. "Oh, and fetch Roach if you see him anywhere. 'Tavish is looking for him. I can't find the damn bug anywhere!" She laughed, standing and shoving the notebook into a pocket on her combat pants.

"Thanks Archer!" she replied, smiling slightly.

On her way to the briefing room, Enya encountered something she hadn't seen in a little while: an unfamiliar face. The confused-looking American man was wandering around, staring at the matching buildings with a frown on his face. Catching sight of her staring, he waved and called her over.

"Hey, could you tell me where the briefing room is?" he asked. "I've been wandering for half an hour, I probably missed my meeting!"

"I'm on my way there." she replied, grinning. "Follow me."

xXx

"My name's Jamie, by the way. Airman First Class Jamie Stinson. But you can call me Blue."

"Blue?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, Blue." he said, smirking. "And you are?"

"Private Enya Clarke. They call me Nina around here, though." she replied.

"Nina? You don't look Spanish." he said, confused.

"It's a long story." she explained. "Maybe I'll tell you about it sometime."

The two soldiers arrived at the briefing room, where an impatient-looking Captain Price was leaned against the wall, and an irritated-looking Captain Mactavish towered over a humble-looking Roach.

"Your little accident has put two men into the infirmary! What were you even doing in the kitchen, bug?" thundered Soap, crossing his arms in anger.

"I...was hungry." admitted Roach. "I was gonna get Nina and I some food, and I...tripped."

"Hey, don't drag me into this!" called Enya, sighing as she limped over to a seat in the briefing room, dragging an amused Jamie Stinson with her.

"Yeah, you tripped. Tripped and knocked a pot of boiling water on to two of our guys! Domino and Rooster are being treated for second degree burns, you clumsy little shite!" ranted Mactavish, glaring daggers at Roach. "If I didn't think you'd be really busy soon, you'd be running laps until your bloody legs fell off! Am I clear?"

"Yes, sir." muttered Roach, lowering his head and taking a seat across the table from Enya.

"Is that why Archer couldn't find you earlier?" asked Enya, smirking slightly at the look of terror that crossed his face.

"You hid from Archer!?" said Enya, laughing. "Shit, Roach. Keep it up and you'll be dragging the FNG around instead of me!" All eyes immediately fell on Blue, who visibly paled.

"Well, go on then! Say hi!" she urged him, patting his shoulder. "Just get it over with."

"What's got you in such a good mood, then?" asked Soap.

"I'm cleared for duty, sir!" she chirped back, motioning to her healing leg.

"Right, well then, moving on." said Price, scowling slightly. "Who in the hell's this Yank?"

"Airman First Class Jamie Stinson, sir!" called Blue, straightening into attention.

"You were supposed to be here with Shepherd, Stinson! What the hell happened?" demanded Price.

"I, um, got lost?" he supplied, blushing.

The sudden, piercing ring of one of the briefing room's many telephones cut through the room.

"Nina, Roach! Show Stinson around while I take care of this?" said Mactavish.

"Yes, sir!" replied Roach, grabbing Enya's arm and rushing out of the room as quickly as his legs could carry him.

xXx

"Jesus, Roach! Take it easy, I literally just got cleared!" laughed Enya. "Oh, by the way; Roach, meet Blue."

"Blue?" asked Roach "an FNG? Now?"

"Yeah, apparently so." said Stinson, sighing.

"They just pulled you out of nowhere too, huh?" asked Enya, sympathetically.

"Yeah, pretty much. Anyways, what was that about a tour?"


End file.
